What type of function is represented by the table of values below?

\begin{tabular}{|c|c|}
\hline [tex]$x$[/tex] & [tex]$y$[/tex] \\
\hline 1 & 4 \\
\hline 2 & 8 \\
\hline 3 & 12 \\
\hline 4 & 16 \\
\hline 5 & 20 \\
\hline
\end{tabular}

A. cubic
B. exponential
C. quadratic
D. linear



Answer :

To determine the type of function represented by the given table of values, we need to analyze the relationship between the [tex]\(x\)[/tex]-values and the corresponding [tex]\(y\)[/tex]-values.

[tex]\[ \begin{array}{|c|c|} \hline x & y \\ \hline 1 & 4 \\ \hline 2 & 8 \\ \hline 3 & 12 \\ \hline 4 & 16 \\ \hline 5 & 20 \\ \hline \end{array} \][/tex]

Here's a step-by-step process to determine the nature of the function:

1. Calculate the Differences in [tex]\(x\)[/tex]-Values:
We compute the differences between consecutive [tex]\(x\)[/tex]-values.

[tex]\[ \begin{aligned} x_2 - x_1 &= 2 - 1 = 1 \\ x_3 - x_2 &= 3 - 2 = 1 \\ x_4 - x_3 &= 4 - 3 = 1 \\ x_5 - x_4 &= 5 - 4 = 1 \\ \end{aligned} \][/tex]

These differences are all equal to 1.

2. Calculate the Differences in [tex]\(y\)[/tex]-Values:
Next, we compute the differences between consecutive [tex]\(y\)[/tex]-values.

[tex]\[ \begin{aligned} y_2 - y_1 &= 8 - 4 = 4 \\ y_3 - y_2 &= 12 - 8 = 4 \\ y_4 - y_3 &= 16 - 12 = 4 \\ y_5 - y_4 &= 20 - 16 = 4 \\ \end{aligned} \][/tex]

These differences are all equal to 4.

3. Analyze the Differences:
In a linear function, the difference between consecutive [tex]\(y\)[/tex]-values (also known as the first differences) should be constant when the [tex]\(x\)[/tex]-values are evenly spaced.

For the given table, the differences between consecutive [tex]\(x\)[/tex]-values are constant ([tex]\(1\)[/tex]), and the differences between consecutive [tex]\(y\)[/tex]-values are also constant ([tex]\(4\)[/tex]).

This consistency in the differences signifies a linear relationship.

4. Conclusion:
Since the differences between the [tex]\(y\)[/tex]-values are constant, the function represented by the table is linear.

Thus, the type of function is linear. The correct answer is:

D. linear

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