Final answer:
The equation y = x + 1 is incorrect; the correct equation according to the provided data is y = 9 + 3x, which indicates a y-intercept of 9 and a slope of 3.
Step-by-step explanation:
Your classmate's assertion that the table can be represented by the equation y = x + 1 is incorrect. The correct equation, based on the information provided, is y = 9 + 3x. In this equation, the y-intercept (the b term) is 9 and the slope (the m term) is 3. This means that for every unit increase in x, the value of y increases by 3. The y-intercept is the point where the line crosses the y-axis, which is at the point (0,9). To construct a table for this equation, one would choose various x values and apply them to the equation to calculate the corresponding y values. These pairs of x and y values are then plotted on a graph to form a straight line. Figure A1 would illustrate these points plotted and a line drawn through them, showing that the slope is indeed consistent and the line intercepts the y-axis at 9.