Final Answer:
Erin will need to rent 40 chairs for the cost of the rentals to be the same. So option C. 40 chairs is the answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
Erin will need to rent 40 chairs for the cost of the rentals to be the same. This can be determined by comparing the cost per chair from both rental options. Let's denote the cost per chair from A-1 Rental as

To find when the costs are equal, we set the two expressions equal to each other:
![\[ C_(A-1) \cdot x = C_(Tonka) \cdot x \]](https://img.qammunity.org/2024/formulas/business/high-school/n5zmb797m3n331rmu20c6eml909y1m9xx3.png)
Given that Erin is considering renting 40 chairs, the equation becomes:
![\[ C_(A-1) \cdot 40 = C_(Tonka) \cdot 40 \]](https://img.qammunity.org/2024/formulas/business/high-school/ob7abq5cyody8j6du1qmbcc4aq93sfddp3.png)
This simplifies to:
![\[ C_(A-1) = C_(Tonka) \]](https://img.qammunity.org/2024/formulas/business/high-school/wys14yuefshk4f7dggfbnpute7n1bmdgtf.png)
This means that Erin will need to rent 40 chairs for the costs to be the same from both rental options.
In conclusion, option C (40 chairs) is the correct answer. Erin should rent 40 chairs to ensure that the total cost of the rentals is the same, whether she chooses A-1 Rental or Tonka Tents.