Final answer:
To determine the maximum monthly payment for a laptop after a $400 down payment with a total budget of $1200, the inequality is 400 + 12x ≤ 1200, where x is the monthly payment.
Step-by-step explanation:
To solve for how much you can pay each month for the laptop after making a $400 down payment, you can set up an inequality. Let x represent the amount you pay each month. You want the total amount paid, including the down payment and the monthly payments for 12 months, to be at most $1200. The inequality to represent this situation will be:
400 + 12x ≤ 1200
This inequality states that your initial down payment of $400 plus 12 times your monthly payment x should not exceed $1200. By solving for x, you will get the maximum amount you can pay each month.