Question

Ashley earns $8.50 per hour at her job, but if she works more than 35 hours in a week she is paid 1½ times her regular wage for the overtime hours worked.

a.find a linear equation that relates her weekly pay y and the number of hours x she worked during the week if she worked no more than 35 hours.

Answer 1

Let

x-------> the number of hours Ashley worked during the week

y------> Ashley's weekly pay

we know that

Ashley earns $8.50 per hour at her job and if she works more than 35 hours in a week she is paid 1½ times her regular wage for the overtime hours worked

so

case a) if she worked no more than 35 hours

`x \leq35\ hours`

In this case the equation is equal to

`y=8.50x`

case b) if she worked more than 35 hours

`x>35\ hours`

in this case

`\$8.5*1.5=\$12.75`

`\$12.75-\$8.50=\$4.25`

the equation is equal to

`y=(x-35)*4.25+8.50*x`

therefore

the answer part a) is

`y=8.50x`