SOLUTION: I'm never any good with word problems. I think the answer of why it varies is because I am not given an exact amount for 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and lots of things could happen tha

Question 136889: I'm never any good with word problems. I think the answer of why it varies is because I am not given an exact amount for 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and lots of things could happen that sway what will happen in 2009 because it's #'s that are projected.
The equation I came up with is y = 2.1x + 45.27. Here is the question:

Cell Phone Bill
Model the data given in the table below with a linear function and estimate the average monthly cell-phone bill in 2007 and in 2009. Answers may vary depending on the data points used.
***My teacher has extended this question by asking, "As authors suggest "Answers will vary depending on the data points used" for this problem. Why? Justify this with some elaboration and examples."
Year, X | Average Monthly Cell-Phone Bill, y
2000, 0 | $45.27
2001, 1 | $47.37
2002, 2 | $48.40
2003, 3 | $49.91
2004, 4 | $50.64
Any help/guidance that can be given will be appreciated.
CB
Answer by stanbon(75887) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
I think the answer of why it varies is because I am not given an exact amount for 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and lots of things could happen that sway what will happen in 2009 because it's #'s that are projected.
The equation I came up with is y = 2.1x + 45.27. Here is the question:
Cell Phone Bill
Model the data given in the table below with a linear function and estimate the average monthly cell-phone bill in 2007 and in 2009. Answers may vary depending on the data points used.
***My teacher has extended this question by asking, "As authors suggest "Answers will vary depending on the data points used" for this problem. Why? Justify this with some elaboration and examples."
Year, X | Average Monthly Cell-Phone Bill, y
2000, 0 | $45.27
2001, 1 | $47.37
2002, 2 | $48.40
2003, 3 | $49.91
2004, 4 | $50.64
-------------------
Your answer is fine; it is based on the 1st two linies of data.
If you use other lines you will get different equations because,
although the x-values are consistently increasing by one, the
y-values vary in the amount of change. That means you will get
a slightly different slope value of you use data lines one and
three, or lines one and four, etc.
If you use lines one and three you get: y = 1.565x+46.27
If you use lines two and 4 you get: y = 1.27x+46.1
--------------
All of this means the data is not strictly linear; it is approximately
linear.
===============
Stan H.
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