Final answer:
The total annual expense for operating and owning a car that costs $0.28 per mile for operating and $0.74 per mile for ownership, driven 30,000 miles per year, is $30,600 (option a).
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the total annual expense for operating and owning the car, we must consider both the operating and ownership costs per mile and then multiply each by the total number of miles driven annually. The student drives 30,000 miles per year.
The operating cost is $0.28 per mile, so the total operating cost for the year is:
Operating cost = 30,000 miles × $0.28/mile = $8,400
The ownership cost is $0.74 per mile, so the total ownership cost for the year is:
Ownership cost = 30,000 miles × $0.74/mile = $22,200
Adding these together gives the total annual expense:
Total annual expense = Operating cost + Ownership cost = $8,400 + $22,200 = $30,600
Thus, the correct answer is option (a) $30,600.