Final answer:
The depth of snow on the ground is a linear function of time if it continues to fall at a consistent rate of 0.5 inch each hour, assuming no other factors like melting or additional snowfall come into play.
Step-by-step explanation:
If snow is falling at a rate of 0.5 inch each hour, then the depth of snow on the ground is indeed a linear function of time, provided that the snow continues to fall consistently at this rate and that there are no other factors affecting the depth (such as melting or additional snow from other sources).
A linear function represents a situation where there is a constant rate of change, which in this case is the consistent snowfall. The assumption is that the ground was initially clear of snow when the snowfall began. If we were to graph this scenario, we would have time on the x-axis and snow depth on the y-axis, with a straight line representing the function, indicating a steady increase of 0.5 inch per hour.