sat suite question viewer
| Area (square feet) | Water (gallons) |
|---|---|
| 2,520 | 4,536 |
| 3,780 | 6,804 |
| 5,040 | 9,072 |
The buildings of a shopping center are designed to allow water to drain from the roof into gutters on the sides of the buildings. The table shows the relationship between the area x, in square feet, of a roof and the amount of water f(x), in gallons, drained from the roof into the gutters over a certain period of time. Which equation could define f?
Explanation
Choice B is correct. It's given that the table represents the relationship between the area x, in square feet, of the roof of a shopping center and the amount of water f(x), in gallons, drained from the roof into the gutters. Every choice represents this relationship with an equation defining f in the form f(x) = mx, where m is a constant rate of change. The value of m can be determined by dividing both sides of the equation by x. Each of three pairs of x and f(x) in the table yield m=1.8, since 4,5362,520=1.8, 6,8043,780=1.8, and 9,0725,040=1.8. Therefore, the equation f(x)=1.8x could define f.
Choice A is incorrect. For the roof with an area of 2,520 square feet, this equation would yield 0.6(2,520), or 1,512, gallons, not the 4,536 gallons shown in the table.
Choice C is incorrect. For the roof with an area of 2,520 square feet, this equation would yield 2,268(2,520), or 5,715,360, gallons, not the 4,536 gallons shown in the table.
Choice D is incorrect. For the roof with an area of 2,520 square feet, this equation would yield 4,536(2,520), or 11,430,720, gallons, not the 4,536 gallons shown in the table.