SOLUTION: please answer this question: the average cost of tuition fees, room and board for 2 year institution increased from $1979 in 1980 to $4895 in 1997. A) find the linear function t

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Question 159071: please answer this question: the average cost of tuition fees, room and board for 2 year institution increased from $1979 in 1980 to $4895 in 1997.
A) find the linear function that will give average expense of a two year institution E, as a function of time, x, where x is defined to be the number of years since 1980.
B) use the equation to predict the average expense associated with 2010.
i tried to find the linear function but i got stuck i been here for hours and i could figure it out. i got E=17x+1979-4895
Answer by vleith(2983) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Let's do this.
We'll setup a linear equation in the form y = mx +b that uses the given info.
y is the cost of tuition
x is the number of years after 1980
You are given : $1979 in 1980 to $4895 in 1997. So you know 2 points on the line. Thise points are {0, 1979) and (17, 4985). We find the x values as
First let's find the slope of the line
m = (y[2] - y[1])/(x[2] - x(1])

b is the y intercept. That is the point where the x value is 0. So for us
We have what we need. Just plug it all in

Check the eqaution using the two points you know. At year 1980, x =0, so y = 1979. That is correct
At year 1997, x = 17. So = close enough
So for part A) (same equation, just use the variables the problem states.
Finally, you are asked to estimate the cost in the year 2010.
In 2010 =
Plugging that into yeilds