The percentage of college students who are 35 and older has been increasing. In 1970 it was 9.6%, 2001 19.2%?

Question

The percentage of college students who are 35 and older has been increasing. In 1970 it was 9.6%, In 2001, an estimated 19.2% were 35 or older.

A. Find an equation giving percentage of collge students age 35 or older in terms of time where time represents the number of years since 1970.

B. What percentage of college students will be 35 and over in 2010?

C. In what year will the percentage of college students 35 and over reach 31%?

Answer 1

a.
m = (19.2 - 9.6)/(2001 - 1970) = 0.31
b = 9.6 - 1970 * 0.31 = -601
(%35+) = 0.31x - 601

b. (%35+2010) = 0.31 * 2010 - 601 = 22.1

c.
31 = 0.31x - 601
x = 632/0.31 = 2039

To wizebloke...don't be so darned literal. It's just a math problem in order to see if linear equations are understood. Lighten up!

Answer 2

Mark Twain said, "There are 3 kinds of lies. There are Lies; Damned Lies; and Statistics."

Just because two bits of data are stated, doesn't indicate any mathematical formula will continue along the same lines. If they did, by 2100, no student would be under 35.

In the 1970's, were more young people college students so they wouldn't be drafted into the Vietnam War?
Since 1995 (when windows 95 came out) computers were easier to opperate with a point and click mouse. That made a lot of companies move over to computer based work. Anyone over 35 who wanted to keep his job, would have to go back to college.

Or try these statistics:
one ocean liner takes 3 days to cross the Atlantic
So are 3 liners able to cross in 1 day?
or 72 liners cross in one hour?

Figures don't lie, huh?

Answer 3

Well people do make corruptive influence... like MTV or WWe it really makes people dumb