An object is dropped off a cliff and falls freely. It speeds up as it falls toward the ground. The graph below shows the velocity in meters per second (m/s) of the object (denoted by the vertical axis) as a function of time in seconds (denoted by the horizontal axis). Note that the relationship is linear.

This relationship is given by the equation, v = gt. In this equation, g is the acceleration due to gravity, t is the number of seconds, and v is the velocity of the falling object. Note that g is a constant.

Find and interpret the meaning of the initial value and the rate of change in this context.