Final answer:
The standard form of the function A(x) is A(x) = x² + 8x + 15, and the y-intercept is 15, which represents the area of the mat when the width of the picture is zero.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the standard form of the function A(x) = (x+3)(x+5), we need to expand the brackets using the distributive property. By multiplying each term in one parenthesis by each term in the other parenthesis, we get:
A(x) = x² + 5x + 3x + 15
Combine like terms:
A(x) = x² + 8x + 15
This is the standard form of the function A(x), which is a quadratic equation representing the area of the picture and frame together.
The y-intercept is found by evaluating A(x) when x = 0:
A(0) = 0² + 8(0) + 15 = 15
So, the y-intercept of the function A(x) is 15. In the context of this problem, the y-intercept represents the area of the frame when the width of the picture is zero, which could be interpreted as the area of the mat alone.