Advanced Mathematics Investigation Example 1

Name:___________________________

When kerosene is purified to make jet fuel, pollutants are removed by passing the kerosene through a special clay filter. Suppose a filter is fitted in a pipe so that of the impurities for every foot are removed for every foot that the kerosene travels. Fill in the chart below using the above information and answer the questions below. Feet Percentage of Impurities 0 1 2 3 4 5 8 10 12

Let x be the number of feet and let y be the percentage of impurities. Graph the data on a coordinate plane and answer the questions below. 1. Is your graph increasing or decreasing?

2. What model best represents the data above? Write a model for this graph.

3. About what percent of the impurity remains after the kerosene travels 20 feet?

Critical Thinking 4. Will the impurities ever be completely removed? Explain.