Question

A shopper is comparing two cell phone data plans. AT&T has a plan that charges $50 per GB of data each month. Verizon has a plan that charges $90 per month for unlimited data. The shopper wants to know which plan is a better deal, but realizes it depends on how many GB are used each month. Define two variables in this situation. State what the variables represent and include units.

Answer 1

To compare the two cell phone data plans, we can define two variables: x for the amount of data used in GB and y for the total cost in dollars. By setting up an equation, we can determine the threshold at which AT&T or Verizon becomes the better deal. If the shopper uses less than 1.8 GB of data per month, the AT&T plan would be a better deal. If the shopper uses more than 1.8 GB of data per month, the Verizon plan would be a better deal.

Step-by-step explanation:

In this situation, we can define two variables: x and y.

x represents the amount of data, measured in GB, used each month.

y represents the total cost of the data plan each month, measured in dollars.

For AT&T, the cost per GB is $50, so the cost y would be 50x.

For Verizon, the cost per month is $90, regardless of the amount of data used, so the cost y would be 90.

To determine which plan is a better deal, we can set up an equation to compare the costs of the two plans.

Equation: 50x = 90

Solution: x = 90/50 = 1.8 GB

If the shopper uses less than 1.8 GB of data per month, the AT&T plan would be a better deal. If the shopper uses more than 1.8 GB of data per month, the Verizon plan would be a better deal.