Answer
$\color{blue}{\bf{\text{(a)}{$}4.31}}$$\color{blue}{\bf{{ ;$}0.51\text{ more than the actual minimum wage of }{$}3.80}}$
$\color{blue}{\bf{\text{(b)}47.6\text{ years after }1956\text{ which is mid 2003;}}}$
$\color{blue}{\bf{\text{the minimum wage was raised to }{$}5.85\text{ in }2007}}$
Work Step by Step
We are given a formula for modeling minimum wage, $y$,
relative to $x$ years since $1956$:
$y = 0.1132 (x) + 0.4609$
(a) To find the projected minimum wage for $1990$:
$y = 0.1132 (1990-1956) + 0.4609$
$y = 4.3097$
$\color{blue}{\bf{{$}4.31}}$
which is $\color{blue}{\bf{{$}0.51\text{ more than the actual minimum wage of }{$}3.80}}$
(b) To find the year in which the projected minimum wage was ${$}5.85$:
$5.85 = 0.1132 (x) + 0.4609$
$5.3891 = 0.1132 (x)$
$47.6 = x$
$1956+47.6=2003.6$
$\color{blue}{\bf{47.6\text{ years after }1956\text{ which is mid 2003;}}}$
$\color{blue}{\bf{\text{the minimum wage was raised to }{$}5.85\text{ in }2007}}$
