The weight, in pounds, of a newborn baby t months after birth can be modeled by W . Th table below has select values showing the linear relationship between t and W . Determin the number of pounds the baby gains per month. t & W 5 & 12.25 7 & 14.75 9 & 17.25

## Step 1: Identify the linear relationship### The relationship between and is linear, meaning it can be represented by the equation , where is the slope (rate of weight gain per month) and is the y-intercept.## Step 2: Calculate the slope ### The slope is calculated using the formula . Using the given points, we can calculate the slope between any two points. For example, between and : ## Step 3: Verify the slope with another pair of points### To ensure consistency, we can verify the slope using another pair of points, such as and : ### The slope is consistent across different pairs of points, confirming that the baby gains 1.25 pounds per month.