Final answer:
A ride-share service charges a flat fee of $15 per ride plus $3 per mile, which can be modeled by the linear function C(m) = 15 + 3m, where m is the number of miles traveled and C(m) is the total cost of the ride.
Step-by-step explanation:
To model the situation where a ride-share service charges a fee of $15 per ride plus an additional $3 per mile, we can write a linear function. The total cost C of a ride for any given number of miles m can be represented by the equation:
C(m) = 15 + 3m
Here, the number 15 represents the flat fee charged for the service regardless of the distance traveled, and the 3 represents the variable cost per each mile of the ride. The variable m stands for the number of miles of the trip, and C(m) represents the total cost for that trip.
If you want to find the cost of a ride for a specific number of miles, simply substitute that number for m in the equation and calculate accordingly to get your answer in 200 words.