Word Problems

Question

determine the linear equation that models this problem. The cost of a school banquet is $90 plus $12 for each person attending. what is the cost for 55 people?

Answer 1

Chris, the key here is to remember what linear equations look like and how to make one out of the information given.

 

OK, so linear equations for graphing usually are in slope-intercept form, with slope as m and the intercept as b. The equation looks like this:

 

y= mx + b

 

For this problem, you need to figure out the cost of 55 people attending, given that the banquet costs "$90 plus $12 for each person attending." You don't know the number of people attending so you can have it be represented by a variable–let's use x for the unknown number of people attending. Your answer for the total cost of the banquet is also unknown, but it should be represented by a different variable–let's use y.

 

Now using the linear equation as a guide to how to solve for the particular problem, it would be:

 

y= 12•x + 90

 

Now all that's left is to substitute x for 55 to find the cost of the banquet for 55 people!

 

 

Answer 2

p represents the number of people

 

Cost = $90 + $12p

 

Cost = 90 + 12(55)

Cost = 90 + 660

Cost = 750

 

The banquet costs $750.