Question

Joe the plumber is starting a new job installing new sinks in an apartment building. He will need to install 100 new sinks. He is ordering the new sinks from Lowe’s. Each sink costs $75. He also needs sealant which costs $10 per sink. Joe writes the expression 100−8,500 to represent the profit he will make for this job. What does the variable represent in this situation?

Answer 1

The typo in the expression should be addressed, and the correct expression for Joe's profit would subtract the total cost of materials from his earnings.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question seems to contain a typo with the expression Joe writes as 100−8,500 to represent his profit. The variable in this incorrect expression does not represent anything specific in the context of the problem. However, in the correct financial context, the expression should calculate the total cost Joe incurs and subtract it from his earnings.

A better expression would be earnings − (cost of sinks + cost of sealant). If we consider Joe's earnings to be represented by a variable, the proper expression for profit P would be P = E − (100 × 75 + 100 × 10), where E represents Joe's earnings for the installation job.

It is important that the expression accurately represents the costs of materials. We know each sink costs $75, and sealant costs $10 per sink. There are 100 sinks, so the total cost of sinks is $7,500 and the total cost of sealant is $1,000, giving a combined materials cost of $8,500. This combined cost must be subtracted from Joe's earnings to find his profit.

The variable, if used correctly, would represent Joe's total earnings from the installation job.