Question

a person is working in the purchasing department of an appliance retailer. this month he is stocking up on washers and dryers. his supervisor informs him that his budget this month is $8000. he knows that the average wholesale cost of a washer over the past year has been $250, while the average wholesale cost of a dryer has been $200. complete parts a through i.

b. the slope is. this means for every purchase of 4 washers, 5 more dryers can be purchased.
c. the slope is. this means for every purchase of 5 washers, 4 fewer dryers can be purchased.
d. the slope is -5/4. this means for every purchase of 4 washers, 5 fewer dryers can be purchased.
e. the slope is zero. this means no washers or dryers can be purchased.
h. use the graphing calculator to graph the function in part d. choose the correct graph below.

Explanation:

Step1: Analyze the slope - meaning relationship

The slope $m =-\frac{5}{4}$ implies a negative relationship between the number of washers and dryers. If we consider the change in the number of dryers ($\Delta y$) with respect to the change in the number of washers ($\Delta x$), when $\Delta x = 4$, $\Delta y=- 5$. This means for every 4 more washers purchased, 5 fewer dryers can be purchased.

Answer:

D. The slope is $-\frac{5}{4}$. This means for every purchase of 4 washers, 5 fewer dryers can be purchased.