Andrea conducts a science experiment and observes that the height of a plant depends on the amount of sunlight it receives. The plant's height is 37 centimeters, and it grows at a rate of 0.004 centimeters per hour of sunlight. If the number of hours of sunlight is represented by the variable [tex]\(s\)[/tex], which function can represent the height of the plant?

A. [tex]\(s(h)=0.004 h-37\)[/tex]
B. [tex]\(f(h)=37 h+0.004\)[/tex]
C. [tex]\(f(s)=0.004 s+37\)[/tex]



Answer :

Let's break down the given information and find the appropriate function that represents the height of the plant.

1. Initial Height: The height of the plant when it starts (with zero hours of sunlight) is given as 37 centimeters. This can be considered the initial value or the y-intercept in a linear equation.

2. Growth Rate: The plant grows at a rate of 0.004 centimeters per hour of sunlight. This means every hour the plant receives sunlight, its height increases by 0.004 centimeters. This can be considered as the slope in a linear equation.

The general form of a linear function is given by:
[tex]\[ f(s) = \text{slope} \times s + \text{initial value} \][/tex]

Given the above information:
- The slope, which represents the rate of growth per hour, is 0.004.
- The initial height of the plant is 37 centimeters.

Substitute these values into the general linear function form:
[tex]\[ f(s) = 0.004 \times s + 37 \][/tex]

So, the function that best represents the height of the plant depending on the amount of sunlight it receives is:
[tex]\[ f(s) = 0.004 s + 37 \][/tex]

Therefore, the correct answer is:
- [tex]\( f(s) = 0.004 s + 37 \)[/tex]