This is the complete question:
Mark records his science scores in each monthly assessment over a period of 5 months. In the first assessment he scores 76%. In the second assessment he scores 73%. After that, his scores keep increasing by 2% in every assessment. Assume that x represents the number of assessments since he starts recording and y represents the scores in each assessment, which of the following describes the situation?
a. a relation only b.
b. neither a function nor a relation
c. a function only
d. both a relation and a function
Answer:
- <u><em>d. both a relation and a function</em></u>
Step-by-step explanation:
<em>A relation</em> is any statement, either verbal or mathematical, that connects, interrelates or associates, two or more elements (objects, persons, variables).
The text describes a situation where the scores in the assesments are related to the number of statements since Mark starts recording, hence this is a relation.
<h2>Is this relation a function or not?</h2>
In order for a relation be a function, the association has to be unambiguos. This means that for a given input only one output can exist. If an input can have two or more outputs, then you can not determine which is the output for that input. This is what defines whether a relation is a function or not.
In the situation described in the text, x is the input, i.e. the number of assessments since Mark starts recording the scores. Definetely, the number of assessment is not repeated: there is only one first assessment, only one second assessment, only one third assessment, ... the number of assessment cannot not get repeated. Of course, if the input is not repeated, there is only one output associated to the input (each assessment has just one associated score) and the relation is a function.