Question

An electric company charges a certain rate per kilowatt-hour of electricity used and an administrative fee of [3.50]. The company charged Zhao [63.25] for using [800, kwh] of electricity. Zhao uses the equation, [63.25 = 800r + 3.50] to represent the situation. What is the rate per kilowatt-hour of electricity used?

1) 0.05
2) 0.075
3) 0.10
4) 0.125

Answer 1

The rate per kilowatt-hour of electricity used in Zhao's case is $0.075, after solving the provided equation by isolating the rate and dividing both sides by the total kWh used.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the rate per kilowatt-hour of electricity used, we can solve the equation Zhao uses to represent his electric bill: 63.25 = 800r + 3.50.

First, we isolate the variable r (the rate) by subtracting the administrative fee from both sides of the equation:

63.25 - 3.50 = 800r
59.75 = 800r

Next, we divide both sides by 800 to solve for r:

59.75 / 800 = r
0.0746875 = r

When rounded to the nearest thousandth, the rate r is 0.075, which corresponds to option 2.