Question

Mike is a veterinarian. He is placing a nine-line job ad for an assistant. The following piecewise function gives the price of an x-line ad.

a(x) = 45 when x ≤ 3
= 45 + 9(x – 3) when x > 3
The difference between the cost of a two-line ad and the cost of a 3-line ad is

Answer 1

The cost of both a two-line ad and a three-line ad is $45 based on the given piecewise function, hence the difference in cost is $0.

Step-by-step explanation:

The difference between the cost of a two-line ad and a three-line ad for Mike's veterinary assistant job posting can be determined using the given piecewise function for the pricing of an ad, a(x). According to the function, the price is fixed at $45 for ads that are 3 lines or less. Therefore, the cost of a two-line ad is $45 as is the cost for a three-line ad.

Using the function a(x) = 45 when x ≤ 3, the cost for both two lines (x = 2) and three lines (x = 3) will be:

• Cost for two-line ad = a(2) = $45
• Cost for three-line ad = a(3) = $45

Since both are priced at $45, the difference in cost is $0.