Question

Customers of a phone company can choose between two service plans for long distance calls. The first plan has a $26 monthly fee and charges an additional0.09 for each minute of calls. The second plan has a $19 monthly fee and charges an additional $0.13 for each minute of calls. For how many minutes of callswill the costs of the two plans be equal?

Answer 1

First Plan

Monthly fee = $26

charge per min = $0.09

Second Plan

Monthly fee = $19

charge per min = $0.13

Solution

Let the number of minutes spent on calls in a specific month be x

The total cost spent using the first plan:

`0.09x\text{ + 26}`

The total cost spent using the second plan:

`0.13x\text{ + 19}`

If the cost from the first plan would be equal to that of the second plan:

`\begin{gathered} 0.09x\text{ + 26 = 0.13x + 19} \\ \text{collect like terms} \\ 0.04x\text{ = 7} \\ x\text{ = 175} \end{gathered}`

Hence, the number of minutes of calls for which both plans would be equal is 175mins