SOLUTION: Please help me set up an equation for this word problem! In 1994 , the National Park system consisted of about 74.9 million acres. By 2005, the figure had grown to 79 million ac

Question 880494: Please help me set up an equation for this word problem!
In 1994 , the National Park system consisted of about 74.9 million acres. By 2005, the figure had grown to 79 million acres. Let A (t) represent the amount of land in the National Park system, in millions of acres, t years after 1990.
a) Find a linear equation that fits the data.
b) Use the function of part (a) to predict the amount of land in the National Park system in 2010.
Help on this problem would be greatly appreciated, thanks!!
Answer by rothauserc(4718) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
a) we are given two data points (4, 74.9) and (15, 79)
the slope(m) of the line is (79 - 74.9) / (15 - 4) = 0.372727273
standard form of a line is y = mx + b, pick the first point
74.9 = (0.372727273 * 4) + b
74.9 = 1.490909091 + b
b = 73.409090909
A(t) = 0.372727273 * t + 73.409090909
b) A(20) = 0.372727273 * 20 + 73.409090909
A(20) = 80.863636369 million acres

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