Final answer:
To calculate the width of the book W for n hundred pages using bond paper, we use the equation W = 1/8 inch + (1/8 inch) * n, which accounts for the thickness of the pages and the covers.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is trying to determine the thickness of a new book that will be printed on bond paper. The question provides that the front cover and the back cover each have a thickness of 1/16 of an inch, and that the bond paper has a thickness of 1/8 of an inch per one hundred pages. The thickness of the book (W) depends on the number of hundred-page sets it has (n).
If the book has n hundred pages, the thickness contributed by the pages alone is (1/8 inch) * n because there are n sets of one hundred pages, each set being 1/8 inch thick. Adding the thickness of the covers, the total thickness of the book (W) is given by:
W = (1/16 inch) + (1/16 inch) + (1/8 inch) * n
This equation can be simplified:
W = 1/8 inch + (1/8 inch) * n
So, if the book has n hundred pages, we just need to multiply the number of hundred-page sets by 1/8 inch and then add 1/8 inch for the combined thickness of the covers to get the total thickness W.