The number of muffins baked increases by six for every one pan increase. For 5 pans, 42 muffins would be baked.
The provided table depicts the association between the number of muffin pans (x) and the corresponding number of muffins baked (y). The given values suggest that for 3 pans, 18 muffins are baked, while for 4 pans, 30 muffins are prepared. To determine the missing y-value that aligns with a linear relationship, we can analyze the slope of the line formed by joining these two data points (3, 18) and (4, 30). The slope of this line, represented by m, is calculated as the change in y divided by the corresponding change in x, i.e., 30 - 18 / 4 - 3 = 6. This implies that for every increase in the number of pans by one, the number of muffins baked increases by six units.
Now, consider 5 muffin pans (x = 5). Substituting this value into the linear function y = 6x + b, where b is the y-intercept, we can determine the missing y-value. Solving for b, we get 24 = 6(5) + b, which simplifies to b = 18. Therefore, the corresponding number of muffins baked for 5 pans is 24. This value aligns with the linear pattern established by the given data points.