Final answer:
Paolo needs to represent his savings goal with an inequality. The inequality 2,000 ≤ $250 + $15.25h ≤ 3,000 shows the relationship between the hours Paolo needs to work (h) and the total trip cost, where $250 is his current savings and $15.25 is his hourly wage.
Step-by-step explanation:
To represent Paolo's situation in saving for his trip with an inequality, we need to use the given information about his current savings and his hourly wage. He has $250 saved already, and he earns $15.25 per hour at his job. Paolo has estimated that his trip will cost between $2,000 and $3,000. Let's denote the number of hours Paolo needs to work as h.
The total amount of money Paolo will have after working h hours is given by his current savings plus his earnings, which can be represented as $250 + $15.25h. This total must be at least $2,000 to cover the lower end of his trip costs but should not exceed $3,000 as per his higher estimate. Thus, we can write this situation as an inequality:
2,000 ≤ $250 + $15.25h ≤ 3,000
By setting up the inequality this way, Paolo can determine the minimum and maximum hours he needs to work to afford his trip. To solve for h, we need to isolate h in the inequality.