Use the equation below to find \( y \), if \( m=3, x=8 \), and \( b=5 \). \[ y=m x-b \] \( y=\square \)

To find \( y \), we can substitute the given values \( m=3 \), \( x=8 \), and \( b=5 \) into the equation \( y=m x-b \): \[ y = 3 \cdot 8 - 5 \] Calculating this gives: \[ y = 24 - 5 = 19 \] So, \( y=19 \). Here's a fun fact: This formula is actually a linear equation representing a straight line on a graph! The slope (m) tells you how steep the line is, while the y-intercept (b) shows where the line crosses the y-axis. To see the real-world application, think about using this equation to model scenarios like budgeting, where \( m \) could represent income per hour, \( x \) could represent hours worked, and \( b \) could be fixed expenses. By tweaking the variables, you can easily forecast savings or spending!