Question

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sarita and willow are also learning to rock climb. sarita starts 12 feet up and climbs 11 feet each minute. willow starts at the bottom and climbs 15 feet each minute.
x: number of minutes
y: height above ground
complete the statements to show what each equation represents.
the equation $y = 11x + 12$ represents? after $x$ minutes.
the equation $y = 15x$ represents? after $x$ minutes.

Explanation:

For linear equations of the form $y = mx + b$, $b$ is the initial height, and $m$ is the climbing rate per minute.

1. For $y = 11x + 12$: The initial height is 12 feet, and the climbing rate is 11 feet per minute, which matches Sarita's starting position and climbing speed.
2. For $y = 15x$: The initial height is 0 feet (starting at the bottom), and the climbing rate is 15 feet per minute, which matches Willow's starting position and climbing speed.

Answer:

The equation $y = 11x + 12$ represents Sarita's height above ground after $x$ minutes.
The equation $y = 15x$ represents Willow's height above ground after $x$ minutes.