Question

The price for a taxi cab in a small city is $3.50 per mile, x, while traveling, and $0.50 every minute, y, while waiting. If you have $35 to spend on a cab ride, what inequality represents your situation?

1) 3.5x + 0.5y ≤ 35
2) 3.5x + 0.5y ≥ 35
3) 3.5x - 0.5y ≤ 35
4) 3.5x - 0.5y ≥ 35

Answer 1

The inequality that represents the situation is 3.5x + 0.5y ≤ 35.

Step-by-step explanation:

The inequality that represents the situation is option 1) 3.5x + 0.5y ≤ 35.

Let's break down the situation:

1. The price per mile, x, is $3.50.
2. The price per minute, y, while waiting is $0.50.
3. You have $35 to spend on a cab ride.

To represent this information as an inequality, we can use the equation:
3.5x + 0.5y ≤ 35

Since we want to stay within our budget, we use the less than or equal to sign (≤).

This inequality states that the total cost of the ride, which is the price per mile times the number of miles (3.5x), plus the price per minute times the number of minutes waiting (0.5y), should be less than or equal to $35.