Final answer:
Dakota needs to teach 2 classes to earn back her certification cost of $117. Her total earnings can be represented by E = 95 + 11x. By solving the equation E = 117 for x, the conclusion is that teaching 2 classes will make her expenses and earnings both equal $117.
Step-by-step explanation:
To solve this algebraic word problem, let's define our variables. Let x be the number of classes Dakota teaches in the first month. Dakota's total earnings can be represented by the equation E = 95 + 11x, where E is the total earnings, 95 is the base salary, and 11 is the additional amount she earns per class. She needs to earn back her certification cost, which is $117.
To find how many classes Dakota needs to teach to earn back her certification cost, we set up the equation E = 117. Substituting this into the earnings equation gives us 117 = 95 + 11x. Solving for x will give us the number of classes Dakota needs to teach to break even on her expenses.
Solving the equation 117 = 95 + 11x for x, we subtract 95 from both sides to get 22 = 11x, and then divide both sides by 11 to find that x = 2. Therefore, Dakota needs to teach 2 classes to earn back her certification cost.