Question

From 1980 to 2000, the annual profit of a company was determined by subtracting the product of $25,000 and the number of years either before or after 1990 from $625,000. Which of the following equations below could be used to determine in which year, x, the profit was $550,000?

Options:
1. $625,000 - $25,000x = $550,000
2. $625,000 + $25,000x = $550,000
3. $550,000 - $25,000x = $625,000
4. $550,000 + $25,000x = $625,000.

Answer 1

The correct equation to determine the year when the profit was $550,000 is given by Option 1: $625,000 - $25,000x = $550,000. This relation is derived from the annual profit formula provided for the company from 1980 to 2000.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine which equation could be used to find the year, x, when the profit was $550,000, we need to understand how the profit was calculated. The annual profit from 1980 to 2000 is given by subtracting the product of $25,000 and the number of years either before or after 1990 from $625,000. If we let x be the number of years after 1990 (or before, if negative), then the profit P in any year can be expressed as:

P = $625,000 - $25,000x

We are given that the profit is $550,000. Plugging this value into the profit equation, we get:

$550,000 = $625,000 - $25,000x

Therefore, the correct equation from the given options is:

Option 1: $625,000 - $25,000x = $550,000

This equation will help us find the value of x, which represents the number of years before or after 1990 when the profit was exactly $550,000.