A jogger is running home. His distance from home, as a function of time, is modeled by \( y=-7 x+8 \). Which statement best describes the function? A. The function is nonlinear. B. The function is linear. C. Not enough information is given to decide. D. The function is linear at some points and nonlinear at other points.

This function represents a straight line, as indicated by the equation \( y = -7x + 8 \), which is in the slope-intercept form \( y = mx + b \). The slope \( -7 \) shows that for every hour the jogger runs, he gets 7 units closer to home, while the \( +8 \) reflects the starting distance. So, the correct answer would be B. The function is linear. In real-world scenarios like this, linear functions can effectively model the jogger’s consistent speed over time. This makes it easy to predict the distance from home at any given moment, allowing for planning and tracking progress. You can visualize jogging routes or even use this concept to analyze how long it takes to reach a destination based on a steady pace.