College

At 5:00 p.m., Antonio turned on the oven. While the oven preheated, the temperature in the oven increased from [tex]$72^{\circ} F$[/tex] to [tex]$400^{\circ} F$[/tex] over a 10-minute period. The oven remained at [tex]$400^{\circ} F$[/tex] for 45 minutes until Antonio turned it off. It took 60 minutes for the temperature in the oven to cool, returning to [tex]$72^{\circ} F$[/tex] at 6:55 p.m.

Which statement best explains whether or not the temperature in the oven is a function of the time?

A. It is a function because at any given time the oven was exactly one temperature.

B. It is a function because the oven temperature was the same at different times.

C. It is not a function because at any given time the oven was exactly one temperature.

D. It is not a function because the oven temperature was the same at different times.

Answer :

To determine if the temperature in the oven is a function of time, we need to consider the definition of a function. In mathematical terms, a function relates each input to exactly one output. Here, the input is time, and the output is temperature.

Let's break down the situation:

1. Time Periods and Temperatures:
- At 5:00 p.m., the oven is turned on, and the temperature starts at [tex]\(72^\circ F\)[/tex].
- The temperature rises to [tex]\(400^\circ F\)[/tex] over a 10-minute period.
- The oven stays at [tex]\(400^\circ F\)[/tex] for 45 minutes.
- After that, the oven cools down back to [tex]\(72^\circ F\)[/tex] over 60 minutes, reaching this temperature at 6:55 p.m.

2. Analyzing the Temperature Changes:
- During the entire time from turning on the oven until it returns to [tex]\(72^\circ F\)[/tex], at any specific moment, there is only one temperature value of the oven.

3. Function Assessment:
- The temperature at any specific moment of time is unique (i.e., there aren't two different temperatures at the same time).
- This matches the requirement for a function, where each input time corresponds to only one output temperature.

Therefore, we can conclude that:

- It is a function because at any given time, the oven was exactly one temperature.

This explanation aligns with the correct understanding of a function and confirms that the temperature of an oven over time in this scenario is a function.