Section 1.

4
To find a Formula for a Linear Function we find
values for the slope, m, and the vertical intercept, b
in the formula y = b + mx.

Alternative Forms for the Equation of a Line

The Slope-Intercept Form: y = mx + b

The Point-Slope Form: y y
o
= m(x x
o
)

The Standard Form: Ax + By + C = 0

Example 1: Find formula for the linear function that has
slope 4 and x-intercept 7.
We have slope, m = 4, and so
y = b + mx implies that y = b 4x.
Since the x-intercept is 7, the line passes through (7 , 0).
By substitution, we have 0 = b 4(7).
28 = b.
Therefore, y = 28 4x.

Example 2: P = h(t) gives the size of a population that
begins with 12000 members and grows by 225 members
each year. Find the formula for the linear function.
The starting value is b = 12000, and the growth rate is m
= 225, and so P = h(t) = 12000 + 225t.

Solutions to Selected Problems:
Example 1: page 33, exercise 12.
j(s) = s
1
+ 7 is not a linear function since the power of s is not 1.
Example 2: page 33, exercise 13.
C(r) = 2tr can be written as C(r) = 0 + 2tr, and so C(r) is linear
with b = 0 and m = 2t.
Example 3: page 33, exercise 15.
f(x) = m
2
x + n
2
is linear with slope = m
2
and vertical intercept n
2
.
Example 4: Page 33, exercise 22. We have f(0.3) = 0.8 and f(0.8) = 0.4.
Slope = m = . 4 . 2
5 . 0
2 . 1
5 . 0
8 . 0 4 . 0
3 . 0 8 . 0
) 3 . 0 ( ) 8 . 0 (
=

=

=

=
A
A f f
x
f

y = b + mx implies that y = f(x) = b + 2.4x.
f(0.3) = b + 2.4(0.3)
0.8 = b 0.72
1.52 = b
Therefore, y = 1.52 + 2.4x.


Example 5: Page 33, exercise 25.
p 0.5 0.75 1.00
q = f(p) 1500 1000 500
Since the function is linear, we can pick any 2 points to find its
formula: q = b + mp.
Slope = m = 2000
25 . 0
500
5 . 0 75 . 0
1500 1000
=

=
A
A
p
q

Next, we substitute a point into q = b 2000p to find b, the q-
intercept.
We use the point (1 , 500).
500 = b 2000(1)
2500 = b.
Therefore, q = 2500 2000p.

Example 6: Page 34, exercise 36.
n 100 125 150 175
C(n) 11000 11125 11250 11375
From the table, for each decrease of 25 units in n, C(n) goes down by
125 units.
n 0 25 50 75
100 125 150 175
C(n) 10500 10625 10750 10875
11000 11125 11250 11375
Therefore, C(0) = 10500. This means that the cost of producing zero
units of good is $10500; that is, the fixed costs, before any goods are
produced, are $10500.

Example 7: Page 34, exercise 40.
(a) A table of all possible combinations of sesame and poppy seed
rolls is shown below.
s = number of sesame rolls and p = the number of poppy seed
rolls.
s 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
p 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
(b) The sum of s and p is 12. So, we can write s + p = 12.
Therefore, p = 12 s.

Example 8: Page 35, exercise 45.
Both P and Q lie on the curve y = x
2
+ 1, so their coordinates
must satisfy that equation.
Q has x-coordinate 2, and so its y-coordinate: y = (2)
2
+ 1 = 5.
P has y-coordinate 8, and so its x-coordinate: 8 = x
2
+ 1
7 = x
2

7 = x
So, the x-coordinate of P = 7 because we know from the
graph that x < 0.
Now, we have 2 points: P = ( 7 , 8) and Q = (2 , 5).
Slope of PQ = m = .
7 2
3
) 7 ( 2
8 5
+

=


=
A
A
x
y

Since the function is linear, we use x b y
7 2
3
+

+ = to solve for b.
Since x = 2 and y = 5, we have ). 2 (
7 2
3
5
+

+ = b
Solving for b, we get b = .
7 2
7 5 16
+
+

The equation of the line is .
7 2
3
7 2
7 5 16
x y
+

+
+
+
=
Simplifying the formula, we have . ) 7 2 ( 7 2 1 x y + + =


Example 9: Page 35, exercise 52.
(a) The organism never matures if the development rate, r, is
equal to zero.
Since r = b + kH, we have 0 = b + kH.
Solving for H, we get H = .
k
b
This implies that H
Min

= .
k
b

(b) Given that r = .
1
t
So, t = .
1
r

S = (H H
Min
)t =
r
k
b
H ) (
|
.
|

\
|

= .
1
) ( k kH b
k
b
H
k
k
kH b
k
b
H
=
+
|
.
|

\
|
+
=
+
|
.
|

\
|
+

(c) Since H
Min
= 15
0
C and the organism requires t = 25 days to
develop at a constant temperature of H = 20
0
C, we have
S = (20 15)(25) = 125.
Since S = 125 is a constant and H = 25
0
C, we have
125 = (25 15)(t).
Solving for t, we get t = 12.5.
Therefore, the organism requires t = 12.5 days to develop at a
constant temperature of H = 25
0
C.



Homework:
Section 1.4
1, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 20, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 43, 44, 45, 48, 52.