To model the situation where Joey eats sweet potatoes over time, we first need to establish our variables and create an equation.
1. **Define the variables:**
- Let \( x \) represent the number of hours that have passed.
- Let \( y \) represent the amount of sweet potatoes (in pounds) remaining.
2. **Initial conditions and rate of consumption:**
- Monica starts with 4 pounds of sweet potatoes.
- Joey eats 1 pound every 2 hours,