Question

A telephone costs $0.31 for the first minute plus $0.24 for each additional minute. Write an algebraic expression for the cost of the call lasting x minutes

Answer 1

The algebraic expression for the cost of the call lasting x minutes is $c = 0.31 + 0.24(x - 1)$

Solution:

Given that telephone costs $0.31 for the first minute plus $0.24 for each additional minute.

To find:  algebraic expression for the cost of the call lasting x minutes

Let "x" be the call lasting time

$c = f + (v \times x - 1)$

"c"  is the total cost of the call

"f" is the fixed cost of the call for the first minute

"v"  is the variable cost for each additional minute of the call

"x" is the total time of the call in minutes

In the expression we have used "x - 1" to represent the additional time of call after first minute

Here f = $ 0.31

v = $ 0.24

Thus the algebraic expression is:

$c = 0.31 + (0.24 \times x - 1)\\\\c = 0.31 + 0.24(x - 1)$