Final answer:
To calculate how much Jack will be paid for mowing 7.5 acres, we find the rate per acre by dividing $7200 by 12, which gives $600 per acre, and then multiply $600 by 7.5 acres to get the payment amount.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is asking how much Jack will be paid for mowing 7.5 acres given that he was paid $7200 for 12 acres. We are to write an equation using 7.5 as x to represent the problem. First, we find the rate per acre by dividing $7200 by 12 acres, which gives us $600 per acre. Then, we multiply the rate per acre ($600) by the number of acres Jack is going to mow (7.5 acres), which gives us the equation y = 600 × 7.5, where y is the amount Jack will be paid for mowing the 7.5 acres field.