Question

The cost of renting a bicycle is $9 for the first hour plus another $4 for each additional hour. Which of the following represents this situation, where C is the total cost of renting a bicycle for h hours?

Answer 1

The equation representing the cost of renting a bicycle for h hours is C = 9 + 4(h - 1), where C is the total cost and h is the total number of hours rented.

Step-by-step explanation:

The cost of renting a bicycle can be represented by a linear equation where the variable C stands for the total cost and h represents the number of hours for which the bicycle is rented. Since there is a flat fee of $9 for the first hour, and an additional cost of $4 for every subsequent hour, the equation would look like this:

C = 9 + 4(h - 1)

To explain, the $9 is the initial cost for the first hour, and then you add $4 multiplied by the number of hours beyond the first hour, which is (h - 1). If the bike is rented for just one hour (h=1), the additional cost would be $4 times 0, because no hours beyond the first hour were used.

For example, if a bicycle is rented for 3 hours (h = 3), the total cost C would be calculated as follows:

• $9 for the first hour
• Plus $4 × (3 - 1) for the two additional hours
• Thus, C = $9 + $4 × 2 = $9 + $8 = $17

Answer 2

c=4(h-1)+9 for renting a bicycle for h hours