Where m is the slope of the line and b is the y-intercept of the line, or the y-coordinate of the point at which the line crosses the y-axis. to write an equation in slope-intercept form, given a graph of that equation, pick two points on the line and use them to find the slope. this is the value of m in the equation.
At a sand and gravel plant, sand is falling off a conveyor and onto a conical pile at a rate of 16 cubic feet per minute. the diameter of the base of the cone is approximately three times the altitude. at what rate is the height of the pile changing when the pile is 12 feet high? (hint: the formula for the volume of a cone is v = 1 3 πr2h.)