Answer :
Final answer:
The situation where Peter paints a wall at a rate of 2 square feet per minute can be expressed by the linear equation y = 2x, representing the area painted (y) after a certain number of minutes (x).
Explanation:
Peter paints a wall at a constant rate of 2 square feet per minute. To express the area painted, y, in square feet after x minutes, we can create a linear equation. Since the rate of painting is constant, the equation follows the format of a straight line, y = mx + b, where m represents the slope (rate of painting) and b represents the y-intercept (initial area painted).
In this case, there is no initial area painted at time zero, so the y-intercept b is 0. The rate m is 2 square feet per minute. Therefore, the linear equation representing the situation is:
y = 2x
Where:
y is the area in square feet
x is the time in minutes