Question

Jessica is trying to save money to set aside for emergencies. She already has $75, and she earns nine dollars per hour at her summer job. How many hours will she need to work to earn at least $500?

a) 50 hours
b) 55 hours
c) 60 hours
d) 75 hours

Answer 1

Jessica will need to work at least 48 hours to earn at least $500.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the number of hours Jessica will need to work to earn at least $500, we can set up an inequality. Let x represent the number of hours she needs to work. The total amount she earns can be calculated by multiplying her hourly wage by the number of hours worked: 9x. We can set up the inequality as follows:

9x + 75 >= 500.

Subtracting 75 from both sides of the equation, we have:

9x >= 425.

Dividing both sides by 9, we find:

x >= 47.22.

Since Jessica cannot work a fraction of an hour, she will need to work at least 48 hours to earn at least $500.