Peter played his favorite video game for 10 hours last week. Today Peter's parents restricted him to 5 hours a week for the next 8 weeks.

Create a function, f(x), that models Peters total video game time and explain what each number in the situation represents, using complete sentences.

Question

Peter played his favorite video game for 10 hours last week.  Today Peter's parents restricted him to 5 hours a week for the next 8 weeks.  

Create a function, f(x), that models Peters total video game time and explain what each number in the situation represents, using complete sentences.

phi · Answer

This is ugly question.  But what they want is the equation of a line, where x is time measured in weeks,  and y is the number of hours played.

x=0 represents how much time Peter has played starting now (10 hours ... but we have to assume he didn't play any in the earlier weeks).  i.e.  the y-intercept b is 10
and plays at a rate of 5 hours per week.    (i.e. slope is 5)

jack1 · Answer

peter rebels and runs away from home...?

anonymous · Answer

so i would write the equation in slope intercept form?

anonymous · Answer

LOL probably cx

phi · Answer

yes, they don't specify what form, but slope intercept is easiest, because we are (sort of) told b=10 and m=5

jack1 · Answer

|dw:1394117920913:dw|

anonymous · Answer

so if written in slope intercept form it would be y=5x+10?

jack1 · Answer

|dw:1394117935999:dw|
sorry @phi ... where is m = 5?

phi · Answer

they want
Create a function, f(x), that models Peters *total video game time*
that means if you are given x (time in weeks)  you can figure out how much Peter has played *total* starting from x=0

so f(x) gets bigger as x gets bigger... up to x=8

jack1 · Answer

with u now, cheers phi

phi · Answer

the easiest thing we can do is assume he plays at a constant rate of 5 hours/week and make the function a line

anonymous · Answer

yes but we still put the function in slope intercept form right?

phi · Answer

yes, use slope-intercept form

anonymous · Answer

so it would be either y=5x+10 or y=5x+8

phi · Answer

y=5x+10

that says  at "week 0"  (x=0)  we get y=10 
which says that as of today  Peter has played 10 hours  (we know this from "Peter played his favorite video game for 10 hours last week")

I don't like this question, because it makes us assume way too much. But 
y= 5x+10 
works.
we could also write it
f(x) = 5x + 10

because they want  Create a function, f(x)

anonymous · Answer

i see o: and now i just have to explain what the numbers represent correct?