I need help understanding

Question

The daily cost of renting a compact car at E-Z Rents is $24.95. The customer must also pay $0.025 per mile for any miles driven over 250 for the entire time of the rental. Suppose you rent the car for vacation for one week and drive the car 1200 miles. How much will you owe E-Z Rents for this rental? 

Answer 1

After reading this problem and paying close attention to the relevant details, we know that:

1. To rent a car with this company, you must pay $24.95 each day
2. There is an ADDITIONAL FEE of $0.025 (2 and a half cents) for each mile driven AFTER THE FIRST 250 MILES. You DO NOT pay this fee for the first 250 miles driven.
3. You rent the car for ONE WEEK (7 days)
4. Over the week that you have the car, you drive it 1200 miles total

To solve this problem we are going to break it into 3 parts

1. Determine the base rental price for the entire time you'll have the car ($24.95 per day for 7 days)
2. Figure out the mileage fee for the entire time you'll have the car ($0.025 per mile after 250m)
3. What is the total amount that you will pay for renting the car (base price and mileage fee combined)

Let's Begin

Part one

$24.95 is the base rental price for each day that you have the car. You'll have the car for 7 days. Therefore, we have to calculate $24.95 x 7. You can use a pencil and paper to do traditional calculations or, if allowed at your school, a calculator. $24.95 x 7 = $174.65

The base rental price for the one week you'll have the car is $174.65

Part Two

The additional mileage fee is ONLY for miles driven after the first 250. You drove the car for 1200 miles total. Since you are not being charged for the first 250 miles, we must subtract those miles from the total to know the number of miles that you ARE being charged for. 1200m (total # of miles you drove)

-250m (miles you are NOT paying for)

950m (miles you ARE paying for)

When you subtract 250 from 1200, you get 950. You are being charged $0.025 per mile for 950 miles.

950.000 (# of miles you must pay for)

x $0.025 (fee per mile)

$23.75 (mileage fee amount)

The additional mileage fee for the one week you'll have the car is $23.75

Part three

You are paying two amounts for your one week car rental; $174.65 base rate and $23.75 additional mileage fee. To determine the total price you will pay the car company, we must now combine these amounts.

$174.65

+$ 23.75

$198.40

The total amount you owe E-Z Rents for your one week car rental is $198.40

Answer 2

If you have the car for one week, you would have to pay $0.025 per mile for any mile above 250 then you have to pay (1200-250)*0.025 for miles over 250 plus 24.95*7 for the daily cost.

(1200-250)*0.025 + 24.95*7 = $198.40