Final answer:
To find values of x and y that satisfy the equation y = 9 + 3x, plug in values for x and solve for y, ensuring that x falls within the specified range. Applying this equation for predictive purposes outside the given range or where it gives unrealistic results, like negative flu cases, is inappropriate.
Step-by-step explanation:
The equation in question is y = 9 + 3x, which is a linear equation where the slope (m) is 3 and the y-intercept (b) is 9. To determine the values of x and y that make the equation true, one would simply substitute different values of x into the equation and solve for y.
For instance, if we replace x with 1985, we get y = 9 + 3(1985) = 9 + 5955 = 5964, which is entirely different from the value provided (y = 25.52).
The same process would apply to any valid range of x values. However, note that for the value x = 1970, using this equation for prediction doesn't make sense as it falls outside the given range of 1981 to 2002.
Besides, predicting a negative number of flu cases is not realistic, indicating that the equation should not be used for extrapolation without additional analysis.
The complete question is: Solve for x in math means finding the value of x that would make the equation true. How do you get X by itself?