Question

Lupita rides a taxi that charges a flat rate of $6.75 plus $3.20 per mile. If the taxi charges Lupita $40.03 in total for her trip, how many miles is her ride? Enter your answer in the box as a decimal to the nearest tenth of a mile.

Answer 1

10.4 miles

Explanation:

Write an equation for the total cost paid as a function of the # of miles driven:

L(x) = $6.75 + ($3.20/mile)x

and set this equal to $40.03 to determine the # of miles Lupita rode:

L(x) = $6.75 + ($3.20/mile)x = $40.03

Isolate the x term by subtracting $6.75 from both sides:

($3.20/mile)x = $40.03 - $6.75 = $33.28

Finally, divide both sides by ($3.20/mile):

x = $33.28 / ($3.20/mile)

= 10.4 miles

Lupita rode 10.4 miles in the taxi.