BUSINESS: Bottled Water Total U.S. sales of bottled water for recent years are given in th...

BUSINESS: Bottled Water Total U.S. sales of bottled water for recent years are given in the following table.

a. Number the data columns with x-values 0–4 (so that x stands for number of five-year intervals since 1986) and use exponential regression to fit a curve to the data. State the regression formula. [Hint: See Example 11.]

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b. Use the regression function to predict sales in the year 2016.

Source: Beverage Marketing Corporation

Example 11 FINDING A DIFFERENCE QUOTIENT