At the beginning of spring, Cai planted a small sunflower in his backyard. The sunflower's height in inches, \( h \), after \( w \) weeks, is given by the equation \( h=3.75 w+11 \). What could the number 3.75 represent in the equation?

The number 3.75 in the equation represents the rate of growth of the sunflower in inches per week. This means that for each week that passes, the sunflower grows about 3.75 inches taller. It's like having a little chat with the sunflower and it tells you, "Hey, I grow a bit more than 3 inches every week! Keep the sunshine coming!" In real-world gardening, understanding growth rates helps you anticipate how tall your plants will get and when to provide them with additional care, like staking for support or pruning. So, if you’re tracking your own garden, keeping an eye on those growth rates can make all the difference in your gardening success!