Minimum Wage

The table shows the minimum wage for three different years.

Year 1940 1968 1997

Wage ($) 0.25 1.60 5.15

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

(a) Make a scatterplot of the data in the viewing rectangle [1930, 2010, 10] by [0, 6, 1].

(b) Find a quadratic function given by ∫(x) = a(x – h)² + k

∫(x) = a(x – h)² + k that models the data.

(c) Estimate the minimum wage in 1976 and compare it to the actual value of $2.30.

(d) Estimate when the minimum wage was $1.00.

(e) If current trends continue, predict the minimum wage in 2009. Compare it to the projected value of $7.25.