In 1998 the U.S. Hispanic high school dropout rate was 29.5% and in 2008 it had dropped to 18.3%.

a) Let d (the outputs) represent the U.S. Hispanic high school dropout rate and y (the inputs) represent the years since 1990. Find a linear model for the dropout rate given the year. (Round to two decimal places.)

d=

b) What is the vertical intercept of your model? (Write your answer as a comma separated ordered pair.) The vertical intercept is when the graph crosses the output axis.

(y, d)=

c) The vertical intercept of this model tells me that in the year
the Hispanic dropout rate will be
percent.

Data obtained from www.michigan.gov/documents/mdcr/2011_HLCOM_Data_Report_379828_7.ppt

Respuesta :

a. The drop-out rate can be estimated using the equation,

    d = my + b

where d is the drop-out rate, m is the slope of the line, y is the number of years from 1998 and b be the initial value. For 2008,

    18.3 = m(2008 - 1998) + 38.46

The value of m from the equation is -1.12. The equation becomes,

     d = -1.12y + 38.46

b. The vertical intercept of the model is when d is equal to zero.

    0 = -1.12y + 38.46

The value of y from the equation is 34.34.
   (34.34, 0)

c. n = 1990 + 34.34 = 2024.34. 

The vertical intercept of this problem tells me that by the year 2024, the drop-out rate would be 0%.