document.write( "Question 207958: Can someone help me with this question?\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "In 1995 the United States recovered 23% of its municipal solid wastes through recycling, up from 17% in 1990. Find an equation for the line whose graph depicts this data (where x is measured in years after 1990).
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Algebra.Com's Answer #157388 by Theo(13342)\"\" \"About 
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in 1995 23% was recovered.
\n" ); document.write( "in 1990 17% was recovered.
\n" ); document.write( "let z = the year
\n" ); document.write( "let x = z - 1990
\n" ); document.write( "this means that if z is 1990, x = 0
\n" ); document.write( "this also means that if z is 1995, x = 5
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\n" ); document.write( "let y = % recovered.
\n" ); document.write( "on a graph we would plot y from x.
\n" ); document.write( "our 2 points of consideration are:
\n" ); document.write( "(0,17) and (5,23)
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\n" ); document.write( "equation for a straight line is y = mx + b where m is the slope and b is the y intercept.
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\n" ); document.write( "the y intercept is the value of y when x = 0 which will be 17.
\n" ); document.write( "the slope is given by the formula y2-y1 / x2 - x1
\n" ); document.write( "x1,y1 = 0,17
\n" ); document.write( "x2,y2 = 5,23
\n" ); document.write( "y2-y1 = 23 - 17 = 6
\n" ); document.write( "x2 x1 = 5 - 0 = 5
\n" ); document.write( "out slope is 6/5
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\n" ); document.write( "straight line equation becomes y = 6/5 * x + 17
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\n" ); document.write( "graph of this equation looks like this:
\n" ); document.write( "\"graph%28600%2C600%2C-2%2C10%2C-2%2C40%2C%286%2F5%29%2Ax+%2B+17%29\"
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