Final answer:
Computers R Us generally offers lower repair prices due to lacking a fixed cost and having a lower hourly rate compared to Computer Access. However, actual costs depend on the number of hours required for repair service.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine which company's repair price is lower, we should compare the equations representing the total cost of each company. For Computer Access, the total cost is represented by the linear equation y = 31.50 + 32x, where x represents the number of hours of repair service and y is the total cost to the customer. For Computers R Us, the total cost is y = 23.5x. The equation for Computer Access includes a fixed cost of $31.50 and a variable cost of $32 per hour, while Computers R Us only has a variable cost of $23.5 per hour without any fixed cost.
It's clear that Computers R Us has a lower hourly rate. However, to truly determine which is less expensive overall, one needs to consider the number of hours of service required. If only a few hours of service are needed, the fixed cost from Computer Access contributes significantly to the total cost, making Computers R Us cheaper. As more hours are needed, the higher hourly rate of Computer Access could potentially make Computers R Us still the cheaper option, but the initial $31.50 becomes less significant.