we A baby giraffe weighed 132 pounds at birth . He gained weight at a steady rate for the first 7 months until his weight reached-538 pounds. How many pounds did the giraffe gain each m onth?

## Step 1<br />The problem involves a linear relationship between the weight of the giraffe and the time. The giraffe's weight at birth is 132 pounds and after 7 months, it reaches 538 pounds. We are asked to find the rate of weight gain per month.<br /><br />## Step 2<br />We can use the formula for the slope of a line, which is given by:<br />### \(m = \frac{{y2 - y1}}{{x2 - x1}}\)<br />where \(m\) is the slope (rate of change), \(x1\) and \(x2\) are the x-coordinates of two points on the line, and \(y1\) and \(y2\) are the corresponding y-coordinates.<br /><br />## Step 3<br />In this case, the x-coordinate is the time in months, and the y-coordinate is the weight of the giraffe. We have two points: (0, 132) and (7, 538). Substituting these values into the formula, we get:<br />### \(m = \frac{{538 - 132}}{{7 - 0}}\)<br /><br />## Step 4<br />Calculating the above expression, we find that the giraffe gains 68 pounds each month.