document.write( "Question 1203958: hello! i need help! i am trying to solve a word problem but i can't figure it out! the word problem is: \"the number of acres of farmland in the US has decreased at a relatively constant rate of 3.27 million acres per year from 1987 to 1997. in 1997, there were 931.8 million acres of farmland.\" i have to write an equation that gives the number of acres of farmland as a function of the number of years since 1987. then i have to predict when the number of acres will fall below 915 million acres.
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Algebra.Com's Answer #839893 by josgarithmetic(39620)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Application of linear equation\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Points (x,y) for time in years x and amount of farmland y
\n" ); document.write( "\"y=mx%2Bb\", may be the form of equation of choice.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "THE SLOPE m, IS GIVEN AS 3.27 million acres per year, and is negative.
\n" ); document.write( "You can let year 1987 be assigned time 0 and you are given a point (10,931.8).\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "That should be enough for you to continue the rest of the way.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Notice you need to read the description very carefully.
\n" ); document.write( "Time 0 can be year 1987;
\n" ); document.write( "and time 10 would be year 1997.
\n" ); document.write( "The amount of farmland was 931.8 million acres IN YEAR 1997, which is at x=10.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "One might be more confortable using point-slope equation form.\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"y-931.8=-3.27%28x-10%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "and put this into slope-intercept form.
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