Final answer:
The equation representing the total charge for the taxi ride, which includes a base fee plus a charge for each mile driven, is $20.30 = $2.80 + ($3.50 x x). To find the number of miles driven, subtract the base fee from the total cost and divide by the charge per mile, resulting in 5 miles.
Step-by-step explanation:
The equation to represent the cost of the taxi ride, where the base fee is $2.80 and the charge per mile is $3.50, can be written as follows:
Total cost = Base fee + (Charge per mile x Number of miles driven)
Let's denote the number of miles driven as x. The total charge for the taxi ride is $20.30. So, we have:
$20.30 = $2.80 + ($3.50 x x)
To solve for x, we can subtract the base fee from the total cost and then divide by the charge per mile:
$20.30 - $2.80 = $3.50 x x
$17.50 = $3.50 x x
Now divide both sides by $3.50 to find the number of miles x:
x = $17.50 / $3.50
x = 5 miles