Question

cadens science class is studying tadpoles. each tadpole is born with a tail, which it keeps for a few weeks. once the tadpole starts to become a froglet, its tail shrinks away to nothing. which graph could show the length of the tadpoles tail in relation to its age?

Explanation:

Step1: Analyze the first graph

The first graph shows the length of the tail increasing initially and then remaining constant. But according to the problem, the tail should not increase. A tadpole is born with a tail (so the initial value of \(y\) (tail - length) at \(x = 0\) (age \(=0\)) should be non - zero). This graph is incorrect as it starts from \((0,0)\) and then increases.

Step2: Analyze the second graph

The second graph has a non - zero initial value (the tadpole is born with a tail). Then, for a few weeks (the horizontal part of the graph), the tail length remains constant. After that, as the tadpole becomes a froglet, the tail length decreases to \(0\). This matches the description: “Each tadpole is born with a tail... keeps it for a few weeks... tail shrinks away to nothing”.

Answer:

The second graph.