Hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking", has allowed energy producers to extract oil and natural gas from previously unrecoverable deposits.

Hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking", has allowed energy producers to extract oil and natural gas from previously unrecoverable deposits. One such deposit is the "Marcellus Shale" formation, partially located in western Pennsylvania. Large-scale "fracking" began in western Pennsylvania in 2008. The number of fracking-related jobs there changed from 9,900 in 2008 to 30,000 in 2013. (Source: Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, Marcellus Shale Related Industries, July 31, 2014) http://extension.psu.edu/natural-resources/natural- gas/webinars/industry-workforce-and-training/marcellus-shale-related-industries-pa-dept.-of- labor-industry-powerpoint

a. Multiple choice: The linear regression model most closely fitting this data (where g represents number of fracking-related jobs and t represents years since 2008) is:

A. g = 402t + 9900

B. g = 4020t + 2008

C. g = 20100t + 2008

D. g = 20100t + 9900

b. Use the model to determine number of fracking-related jobs in western Pennsylvania in 2019 (do NOT round answer) Show work!

c. Fill in the blanks to interpret the slope of the equation: The rate of change of fracking-related jobs in western Pennsylvania with respect to time is

____________________ per ______________. (Include units of measurement.)