help me solve this

Question

a telephone company charges $.02 per minute for weekend calls and $.08 per minute for calls made on weekdays. this month nick was billed for 697 minutes. the charge for these minutes was $33.26. how many minutes did nick talk on weekends and how many did he talk on weekdays

Answer 1

This is the type of questions where you would solve it using 2 equations with 2 variables and applying straight-forward substitution.  However, you have to build the correct 2 equations using the given information on the problem.

 

Let's assume the following:

Weekend minutes = x

Weekday minutes = y

Total minutes (given) = 697 minutes

 

Therefore our first equation will be:

x+y = 697 (equation 1)

 

Weekend minutes are charged $0.02 (given)

Weekday minutes are charged $0.08 (given)

Total charges = $33.26 (given)

 

Therefore our second equation will be:

0.02(x) + 0.08 (y) = 33.26

 

Use the first equation to substitute for y:

y = 697 - x (equation 3)

 

Use equation 3 and substitute it in equation 2

0.02 (x) + 0.08 (697 - x) = 33.26

0.02x + 55.76 - 0.08x = 33.26

-0.06x = 33.26 - 55.76

-0.06x = -22.5

multiply both sides by (-)

0.06x = 22.5

x = 22.5/0.06

x = 375 (minutes)

 

Substitute x = 375 in the first equation (1):

 

375 + y = 697

y = 697 -375

y = 322 (minutes)

 

So, Nick talked 375 minutes on weekends and 322 minutes on weekdays

 

To check your work, apply the values on x and y into equation (2):

0.02 (375) + 0.08 (322) = 33.26

7.5 + 25.76 = 33.26