a linear function that represents the number of animals adopted from the shelter is compared to a different linear function that represents the hours volunteers work at the shelter each week. describe the key features of the functions that are needed to determine if these lines intersect.

The key features that are needed to determine whether the two linear functions intersect are the slope and the y-intercept.

Explanation:

The graph of linear functions are lines.

The slope - intercept representation of such functions has the form y = mx + b, where m is the slope and b is the y-intercept of the line.

In order to two lines intersect they must:

Have different slope, which will define that the two lines are not parallel and so they will intersect in a point, which is the solution to the system of equations.In case they have the same slope, there are yet two possibilities: either they have the same y-intercept, which means that they are the same line, and threre are infinite intersection points (inifinite solutions), or they are have different y-intercepts, meaning that they are parallel lines and they never intersect (no solutions).