The cost c (in dollars) to rent a bicycle is proportional to the number h of hours that you rent a bicycle. It costs $20 to rent the bicycle for 4 hours. Write an equation that represents this.

Question

I have to write an equation that represents the information and interpret the slope.

Answer 1

Total cost (C) = hourly cost (m) x the number of hours(h)

Therefore: C = mh

By substituting the known values given:

20 = m (4) or in proper form 20 = 4h; After dividing both sides by 4 you get the hourly rate or m.

Thus the hourly rate for 1 hour is 5 dollars. This is a direct variation and the slope represents the cost per hour.