Final answer:
The slope of the ride share company's pricing equation is 3.50, representing the cost per mile, and the y-intercept is 5.00, indicating the pick-up fee charged when no distance is traveled.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ride share company's pricing structure can be represented by a linear equation, which expresses the total cost of a ride as a function of the distance traveled. In this case, the total cost (y) is calculated as the sum of a $5.00 pick-up fee plus a $3.50 fee per mile (x). This relationship can be written as the equation y = 3.50x + 5.00.
The slope of this equation is 3.50, which represents the rate at which the total cost increases for each additional mile traveled. It indicates that for every additional mile, the cost of the ride increases by $3.50. The y-intercept is 5.00, which is the value of y when x is zero (i.e., the cost of the ride before any distance is traveled, which in this scenario, is the pick-up fee).