Question

Manuel rented a truck for one day. There was a base fee of $14.95, and there was an additional charge of $0.78 for each mile driven. Manuel had to pay $226.33 when he returned the truck. For how many miles did he drive the truck?

Answer 1

By setting up an equation that represents the total cost of renting the truck, we can solve for the number of miles driven by Manuel. The equation incorporates the base fee and the additional charge per mile. After performing calculations, we find that Manuel drove the truck for 271 miles.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the number of miles Manuel drove the truck, we can set up an equation based on the information given. The total cost ($226.33) consists of a base fee ($14.95) plus an additional charge per mile ($0.78 per mile).

Let's represent the number of miles driven as M. The equation based on the cost structure would be:

1. Base fee + (Charge per mile * Number of miles driven) = Total cost
2. $14.95 + ($0.78 * M) = $226.33

To find M, we need to manipulate the equation:

1. Subtract the base fee from both sides: $0.78 * M = $226.33 - $14.95
2. Calculate the right-hand side: $0.78 * M = $211.38
3. Divide both sides by the charge per mile: M = $211.38 / $0.78
4. Calculate the number of miles: M = 271 miles

Therefore, Manuel drove the truck for 271 miles.