Final answer:
The linear function to model the amount of money in Iris's checking account is A(t) = $180 + $7.20t, using the simple interest formula, which takes into account the principal amount, rate of interest, and time.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the linear function that models the amount of money in Iris's checking account at any time t, we use the simple interest formula: Interest = Principal × Rate × Time.
In this case, the Principal amount is $180, the Rate is 4% per year (or 0.04 expressed as a decimal), and Time is represented by t in years.
The interest earned after time t can be calculated using the formula:
I(t) = $180 × 0.04 × t.
However, we want the total amount in the account, which includes the initial principal plus the interest earned over time. The linear function representing this is:
A(t) = Principal + InterestA(t) = $180 + ($180 × 0.04 × t)
Simplifying that, we get:
A(t) = $180 + $7.20t
This function shows that for each year t, Iris earns an additional $7.20 on top of the initial $180 in her checking account.