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Algebra / Linear functions Difficulty: Easy
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 xx , in square feet, of a roof and the amount of water f(x)fx, in gallons, drained from the roof into the gutters over a certain period of time. Which equation could define ff ?

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Explanation

Choice B is correct. It's given that the table represents the relationship between the area xx, in square feet, of the roof of a shopping center and the amount of water f(x)f(x), in gallons, drained from the roof into the gutters. Every choice represents this relationship with an equation defining ff in the form f(x) = mxf(x) = mx, where mm is a constant rate of change. The value of mm can be determined by dividing both sides of the equation by xx. Each of three pairs of xx and f(x)f(x) in the table yield m=1.8m=1.8, since 4,5362,520=1.84,5362,520=1.86,8043,780=1.86,8043,780=1.8, and 9,0725,040=1.89,0725,040=1.8. Therefore, the equation f(x)=1.8xf(x)=1.8x could define ff.

Choice A is incorrect. For the roof with an area of 2,5202,520 square feet, this equation would yield 0.6(2,520)0.6(2,520), or 1,5121,512, gallons, not the 4,5364,536 gallons shown in the table.

Choice C is incorrect. For the roof with an area of 2,5202,520 square feet, this equation would yield 2,268(2,520)2,268(2,520), or 5,715,3605,715,360, gallons, not the 4,5364,536 gallons shown in the table.

Choice D is incorrect. For the roof with an area of 2,5202,520 square feet, this equation would yield 4,536(2,520)4,536(2,520), or 11,430,72011,430,720, gallons, not the 4,5364,536 gallons shown in the table.