Linear equation word problem

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justan4cat

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I hate word problems. However, if I'm only having issues with 2 problems out of 175 for the week, I'm not doing too bad. That being said, here is where I'm stuck:

In 1995 the United States recovered 23% of it's 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).

The equation needs to be in slope-intercept form according to the choices I'm given.
 
This is the same thing as asking for the equation of the line that passes through (0,17) and (5,23)

See why?.
 
Sorry, that gives me a slope of 6/5, So I get the y=1.2x but where does the "b" come from in y=mx+b? the choices in the multiple choice answers are :

y=-1.2x+7
y=1.2x+24
y=1.2x+17
y=0.6-17
 
justan4cat said:
I hate word problems. However, if I'm only having issues with 2 problems out of 175 for the week, I'm not doing too bad. That being said, here is where I'm stuck:

In 1995 the United States recovered 23% of it's 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).

The equation needs to be in slope-intercept form according to the choices I'm given.
Click to expand...

Equation of a line going through points (x[sub:ssssulyf]1[/sub:ssssulyf], y[sub:ssssulyf]1[/sub:ssssulyf]) and (x[sub:ssssulyf]2[/sub:ssssulyf], y[sub:ssssulyf]2[/sub:ssssulyf]) is:

\(\displaystyle \frac{y \ - \ y_1}{y_2 \ - \ y_1} \ \ = \ \ \frac{x \ - \ x_1}{x_2 \ - \ x_1}\)

Put the proper numbers in and simplify.
 
We haven't covered that formula in our book (yet?) but I will try it. Thanks for your help!
 
The b in y=mx+b is where the lione crosses the y axis.

When the line crosses the y axis, then x=0. That is the y value where you start out. What is the y value when x=0 (1990)?. It is given.
 
17. At least I hope so, that's what I put for the answer on the quiz. You guys are the greatest. I couldn't get through this without you.
 
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