Find a Power Function That Models the Data in the Table

question 216

Multiple Choice

Find a power function that models the data in the table. Round to three decimal places if necessary.
-The population of a small town is given by the table. $\begin{array}{r|rrrr}\text { Year } & 1980 & 1990 & 2000 & 2010 \\\hline \mathrm{P} & 7500 & 7513 & 7552 & 7617\end{array}$

If the population is modeled by $\mathrm { p } ( \mathrm { t } ) = \mathrm { at } ^ { 2 } + \mathrm { b }$ where $\mathrm { t }$ is in years and $\mathrm { t } = 0$ corresponds to the year 1980 and $t = 1$ corresponds the year 1990 , find $a$ .

• A) 26
• B) 30
• C) 15
• D) 13

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Definitions:

Geodemographic

Relating to the study of the population and the distribution patterns according to geographic locations and demographic factors.

Psychographic

Relating to the study of personality, values, opinions, attitudes, interests, and lifestyles.

Cognitive

Relating to the mental processes of perception, memory, judgment, and reasoning.

Channel Overload

The state that occurs when a communication channel is overwhelmed with too much information, leading to decreased effectiveness.