Final answer:
The cost to bowl at an alley can be represented by the linear equation y = 5x + 4, where x is the number of games and y is the total cost.
Step-by-step explanation:
The cost for each person to bowl at a bowling alley that charges $4 to rent shoes and $5 per game can be represented by a linear equation. If we let x be the number of games played and y be the total cost, the equation would be y = 5x + 4. Here, the $5 per game is the variable cost depending on the number of games played (x), while the $4 shoe rental is the fixed cost that is added on to the total cost regardless of the number of games played.