The population, P, of Town Y since 1995 can be estimated by the equation P = 1.0635x + 3,250, where x is the number of years since 1995 and 0 ≤ x ≤ 20. In the context of this equation, what does the number 1.0635 most likely represent?
A. The estimated population of town Y in 1995
B. The estimated population of town Y in 2015
C. The factor by which the population of town Y increased yearly
D. The factor by which the population of town Y decreased yearly
Answer:C
The population, P, of Town Y since 1995 can be estimated by the equation P = 1.0635x + 3,250, where x is the number of years since 1995 and 0 ≤ x ≤ 20. In the context of this equation, what does the number 1.0635 most likely represent?
A. The estimated population of town Y in 1995 B. The estimated population of town Y in 2015 C. The factor by which the population of town Y increased yearly D. The factor by which the population of town Y decreased yearly
Explanation: C Use Process of Elimination to answer this question. According to the question, P represents the population, so the outcome of the entire equation has something to do with the population. Therefore, eliminate both (A) and (B) because 1.0635 can't represent the population if P does. In the equation given, the only operations are multiplication and addition, which means that over time the population would increase. Therefore, eliminate (D). The correct answer is (C).