The percent p of high school seniors who smoke cigarettes can be described by , where t is the number of years past 1975. Choose the sentence that correctly interprets the meaning of the slope as a rate of change.
A) The slope represents the annual 28.68% increase of high school seniors who smoke.
B) The slope represents the annual 6% decrease of high school seniors who smoke.
C) The slope represents the annual 0.06% decrease of high school seniors who smoke.
D) The slope represents the annual 0.06% increase of high school seniors who smoke.
E) The slope represents the annual 28.68% decrease of high school seniors who smoke.

Question

The percent p of high school seniors who smoke cigarettes can be described by  , where t is the number of years past 1975. Choose the sentence that correctly interprets the meaning of the slope as a rate of change. ​
A) The slope represents the annual 28.68% increase of high school seniors who smoke. 
B) The slope represents the annual 6% decrease of high school seniors who smoke. 
C) The slope represents the annual 0.06% decrease of high school seniors who smoke. 
D) The slope represents the annual 0.06% increase of high school seniors who smoke. 
E) The slope represents the annual 28.68% decrease of high school seniors who smoke.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The slope of the line is -0.06, which represents the annual decrease in the percentage of high school seniors who smoke. Therefore, choice C is correct. The other choices are incorrect because they suggest an increase in the percentage of high school seniors who smoke, which is not what the slope represents.

The Percent P of High School Seniors Who Smoke Cigarettes