Question

One electrician charges a $50 service call fee plus $25 per hour for labor. Another electrician charges a $35 service call fee plus $27.50 per hour for labor. How long would a job take if the total cost for each electrician is the same?

Answer 1

It's 200, so for the first one(25 per hour) he works 5 hours and the other works 6 hours(27.5 per hour)

Answer 2

Let us first make expressions for each electrician.

Electrician 1:

Service call fee charged by first electrician =$50

Per hour labor charges =$25

let us say he worked for x hours.

Total cost = 50 +25x ...............(1)

Electrician 2:

Service call fee charged by second electrician =$35

Per hour labor charges =$27.50

let us say he worked for x hours.

Total cost = 35 +27.50 x.............. (2)

Since total cost is same for x hours, so equating equations (1) and (2)

$50 +25x= 35 +27.50x$

$50 -35= 27.50x -25x$

$15=2.50x$

dividing both sides by x

x = 6

Answer : A job would take 6 hours if the total cost for each electrician is the same.