The table shows the consumption C (in trillions of Btus) of geothermal energy and wind energy in
Question:
The table shows the consumption C (in trillions of Btus) of geothermal energy and wind energy in the United States from 2004 through 2014. (Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration)
(a) Use a graphing utility to find a cubic model for the geothermal energy consumption data and a cubic model for the wind energy consumption data. Let t represent the year, with t = 4 corresponding to 2004.
(b) Use the graphing utility to graph the data and the two models in the same viewing window.
(c) Use the graph from part (b) to approximate the point of intersection of the graphs of the models. Interpret your answer in the context of the problem.
(d) Describe the behavior of each model. Do you think the models can accurately predict the consumption of geothermal energy and wind energy in the United States for future years? Explain.
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