Question

Which situation can be represented by the algebraic expression 5 + 0.35x?

1) Grandma buys chocolate chips in 35 ounce bags and uses a number of ounces of chocolate chips to bake 5 loaves of chocolate chip muffins.
2) To rent a taxi, Paul pays $5 plus 35 cents a mile.
3) National Airlines charges $35 for each suitcase that is checked plus 5 cents for each pound that the suitcase weighs.
4) A 5 month old baby is expected to grow approximately 0.35 inches before they reach six months or age.

Answer 1

The expression 5 + 0.35x represents a taxi fare with a base fee of $5 and an additional variable charge of 0.35 dollars per mile travelled.

Step-by-step explanation:

The algebraic expression 5 + 0.35x can represent different scenarios where there is a fixed initial amount and a variable amount that changes with the number x. In this expression, 5 represents a constant amount, while 0.35x indicates a variable amount that depends on the value of x.

The situation that can be best represented by the algebraic expression 5 + 0.35x is: "To rent a taxi, Paul pays $5 plus 35 cents a mile." This translates to a flat rate of $5 (which is the fixed part) plus an additional charge of 35 cents (or 0.35 dollars) for each mile travelled (which is the variable part represented by 0.35x, where x is the number of miles).

• In this scenario, the initial cost of renting the taxi stands as the fixed amount ($5).
• The cost per mile is the variable rate (0.35 dollars per mile).
• Therefore, for x miles traveled, the total cost would be calculable as the sum of the fixed charge and the cost per mile multiplied by the number of miles.