Question

A pig went to buy materials to build a straw home. He had an initial cost of $10, and an extra $10 per unit of straw. Write a linear equation representing the cost of the straw house if C is the cost in dollars and U is the number of units.

Option 1: C = 10U + 10
Option 2: C = 10U - 10
Option 3: C = U + 10
Option 4: C = 10U + 100

Answer 1

The linear equation representing the cost of the straw house, with C as the cost and U as the number of units of straw, is C = 10U + 10. This equation accounts for the initial fixed cost and the variable cost per unit.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question involves writing a linear equation to represent the cost of building a straw house. This cost includes an initial fixed cost and a variable cost that depends on the number of units of straw purchased. According to the provided scenario, the initial cost is $10, and each unit of straw costs an additional $10. Therefore, we have a fixed cost (intercept) and a variable cost (slope). The fixed cost is the cost when no units of straw are purchased, and the slope represents the additional cost per unit of straw.

Given that C represents the total cost and U represents the number of units of straw, the correct equation from the options provided that models the situation is C = 10U + 10. This equation indicates that for every unit of straw bought, the cost increases by $10, on top of the initial $10.