Chapter 1.1, Problem 83E

OTHER APPLICATIONS

Marriage The following table lists the U.S. median age at first marriage for men and women. The age at which both groups marry for the first time seems to be increasing at a roughly linear rate in recent decades. Let $t$ correspond to the number of years since $1980$. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Age at First Marriage
Year	$1980$	$1990$	$2000$	$2010$
Men	$24.7$	$26.1$	$26.8$	$28.2$
Women	$22.0$	$23.9$	$25.1$	$26.1$

a. Find a linear equation that approximates the data for men, using the data for the years $1980$ and $2010$.

b. Repeat part $\text{a}$ using the data for women.

c. Which group seems to have the faster increase in median age at first marriage?

d. In what year will the men’s median age at first marriage reach $30$?

e. When the men’s median age at first marriage is $30$, what will the median age be for women?