On a very cold morning, the temperature was -8°F. As the day progressed, the temperature increased by 2 degrees each hour. Which equation represents the temperature over time? y = 2x - 8
Mathematics · Middle School · Thu Feb 04 2021
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The equation y = 2x - 8 indeed represents the temperature over time in this situation. If we let y represent the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit at any given time and x represent the number of hours since the temperature was first observed to be -8°F, we can see how the equation models the situation.
The equation consists of two parts: 1. The "-8" represents the initial temperature early in the morning, which was -8°F. 2. The "2x" represents the increase in temperature over time. Since the temperature increases by 2 degrees each hour, we multiply the number of hours that have passed (x) by 2.
So after 1 hour, the increase in temperature would be 2 degrees, making the temperature -8 + 2(1) = -6°F. After 2 hours, the increase would be 4 degrees: -8 + 2(2) = -4°F. And this pattern would continue as the hours go by.