Question the-eq
The equation above represents the speed y, in feet per second, of Sheila’s bicycle x seconds after she applied the brakes at the end of a ride. If the equation is graphed in the xy-plane, which of the following is the best interpretation of the x-coordinate of the line’s x-intercept in the context of the problem?
The speed of Sheila’s bicycle, in feet per second, before Sheila applied the brakes
The number of feet per second the speed of Sheila’s bicycle decreased each second after Sheila applied the brakes
The number of seconds it took from the time Sheila began applying the brakes until the bicycle came to a complete stop
The number of feet Sheila’s bicycle traveled from the time she began applying the brakes until the bicycle came to a complete stop
The equation above represents the speed y , in feet per second, of Sheila’s bicycle x
Hard-difficulty · SAT Math · Linear Equations in Two Variables — Intercepts and slope applications. Read the question above, select your answer, and check the full explanation below to understand exactly why the correct choice works.
Answer explanation
Choice C is correct. It’s given that for each point 
on the graph of the given equation, the x-coordinate represents the number of seconds after Sheila applied the brakes, and the y-coordinate represents the speed of Sheila’s bicycle at that moment in time. For the graph of the equation, the y-coordinate of the x-intercept is 0. Therefore, the x-coordinate of the x-intercept of the graph of the given equation represents the number of seconds it took from the time Sheila began applying the brakes until the bicycle came to a complete stop.
Choice A is incorrect. The speed of Sheila’s bicycle before she applied the brakes is represented by the y-coordinate of the y-intercept of the graph of the given equation, not the x-coordinate of the x-intercept. Choice B is incorrect. The number of feet per second the speed of Sheila’s bicycle decreased each second after Sheila applied the brakes is represented by the slope of the graph of the given equation, not the x-coordinate of the x-intercept. Choice D is incorrect and may result from misinterpreting x as the distance, in feet, traveled after applying the brakes, rather than the time, in seconds, after applying the brakes.
More Linear Equations in Two Variables practice questions
- A line in the xy -plane has a slope of - 1 2 and
- The graph of y = f x - 11 is shown. The line slants
- f ( x ) = 4 x + b For the linear function f
- On a 210-mile trip, Cameron drove at an average speed of 60 miles per
- y = 576 2 x + 2 The graph of the given equation in
- Hiro and Sofia purchased shirts and pants from a store. The price of each
- The table gives the number of hours, h , of labor and a plumbers
- The line slants sharply up from left to right. The line passes through the
Browse all Heart of Algebra practice questions or return to the full SAT question bank.