Final answer:
The magazine paid Sam $142.50 for his three essays.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine how much the magazine paid Sam for his three essays, we need to calculate the total number of words in each essay and apply the appropriate payment rate. Sam submitted a 300-word essay, a 400-word essay, and a 500-word essay. For the first 250 words of each essay, Sam is paid $0.10 per word, and for every word after 250, he is paid $0.05 per word. Let's calculate:
300 words x $0.10 per word for the first 250 words = $30
50 words x $0.05 per word for the remaining 50 words = $2.50
Total payment for the 300-word essay = $30 + $2.50 = $32.50
Similarly, we can calculate the payment for the 400-word essay:
400 words x $0.10 per word for the first 250 words = $40
150 words x $0.05 per word for the remaining 150 words = $7.50
Total payment for the 400-word essay = $40 + $7.50 = $47.50
Finally, let's calculate the payment for the 500-word essay:
500 words x $0.10 per word for the first 250 words = $50
250 words x $0.05 per word for the remaining 250 words = $12.50
Total payment for the 500-word essay = $50 + $12.50 = $62.50
To find the total payment for all three essays, we add up the individual payments: $32.50 + $47.50 + $62.50 = $142.50
Therefore, the magazine paid Sam a total of $142.50 for his three essays.