What kind of function would best model the data below, where x is the independent variable and y is the dependent variable?

Question

 

x	-3	-2	-1	0	1	2	3
y	11	9	7	5	3	1	-1

 

1. Quadratic

2. Rational

3. Exponential

4. Logarithmic

5. Linear

 

Answer 1

Linear, because there is a constant interval (difference) between the x and between the y values. The function is also rational because it can be defined as the quotient of two functions of x.

[The standard form is y=mx+c (y=-2x+5, which could be written y=f(x)/g(x)=(2x-5)/-1, for example, where f(x)=2x-5 and g(x)=-1.)]