SOLUTION: HELP PLEASE!!! : In 2000 the united states recovered 35% of its municipal solid wastes through recycling, up from 27% in 1990. Let "P" represent the percentage recycled and "t" the

Algebra ->  Coordinate Systems and Linear Equations  -> Linear Equations and Systems Word Problems -> SOLUTION: HELP PLEASE!!! : In 2000 the united states recovered 35% of its municipal solid wastes through recycling, up from 27% in 1990. Let "P" represent the percentage recycled and "t" the      Log On


   

Question 838393: HELP PLEASE!!! : In 2000 the united states recovered 35% of its municipal solid wastes through recycling, up from 27% in 1990. Let "P" represent the percentage recycled and "t" the number of years since 1990. Find two sets of data points (t,p) and a linear function P(t) that fits this data.
Also use the same function to predict the percentage recycled in 2010?
Answer by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740) About Me  (Show Source):
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In 2000 the united states recovered 35% of its municipal solid wastes through recycling, up from 27% in 1990.
Let "P" represent the percentage recycled and "t" the number of years since 1990.
Find two sets of data points (t,p) and a linear function P(t) that fits this data.
Also use the same function to predict the percentage recycled in 2010?
:
From the given information, we have two data points
0 (representing yr 1990) and 27 representing the percent recycled that yr)
10 (representing yr 2000) and 35 representing the percent
:
Assign the values as follows
x1=0, y1=27
x2=10, y2=35
Find the slope using the formula m = %28y2-y1%29%2F%28x2-x1%29
m = %2835-27%29%2F%2810-0%29 = 8%2F10 = .8 is the slope
Find the equation using the point/slope formula y - y1 = m(x-x1)
y - 27 = .8(x-0)
y = .8x + 27 is our linear equation, written here as
p = .8t + 27
:
"use the same function to predict the percentage recycled in 2010"
p = .8t + 27
t is the number of years from 1990, therefore:
p = .8(20) + 27
p = 16 + 27
p = 43% recycled in 2010
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