James is researching earthquakes for a science

report. He is trying to come up with his own

scale to rank the intensity of an earthquake.

He notices that the difference in the intensity

of the smallest earthquake, x, and the largest

earthquake, y, is a magnitude of several

hundred thousand. James comes up with a

scale that allows him to show these

differences and is easy to use and interpret.

Which of the following functions would best model the situation above?

A. step

B. logarithmic

C. absolute value

D. polynomial

Question

Kinley

Mathematics

16 May, 12:04

James is researching earthquakes for a science

report. He is trying to come up with his own

scale to rank the intensity of an earthquake.

He notices that the difference in the intensity

of the smallest earthquake, x, and the largest

earthquake, y, is a magnitude of several

hundred thousand. James comes up with a

scale that allows him to show these

differences and is easy to use and interpret.

Which of the following functions would best model the situation above?

A. step

B. logarithmic

C. absolute value

D. polynomial

+4

Answers (2)

Know the Answer?

Audrina Stanton · Answer 1

Audrina Stanton 16 May, 12:05

0

Creo es el la respuesta D

Belen Armstrong · Answer 2

the answer is B) logarithmic

Step-by-step explanation:

In the given situation, James wants to find a way to distinguish between a very small intensity, x, and a very large intensity, y. To plot this with most graphs, it would involve using an axis that has a magnitude range of several hundred thousand. However, a logarithmic function allows for a single digit change to represent an increase in magnitude by a factor of ten.

Therefore, the situation is best modeled by a logarithmic function.