Final answer:
The equation for the truck rental company's pricing in slope-intercept form is y = 0.79x + 27, where the slope (cost per mile) is 0.79 and the y-intercept (initial fee) is 27.
Step-by-step explanation:
The truck rental company's pricing can be represented by a linear equation in slope-intercept form, which is written as y = mx + b, where m is the slope and b is the y-intercept. In the given scenario, the cost to rent the truck is $27 plus $0.79 per mile. The m (slope) represents the cost per mile, and b (y-intercept) represents the flat fee.
The equation for this situation is y = 0.79x + 27, where y is the total cost of the rental and x is the number of miles driven. The slope is 0.79, indicating the rate of change in cost per additional mile driven. The y-intercept is 27, which is the initial cost when no miles are driven.
The formula for calculating the total cost of a rental for a specific number of miles is therefore:
Total Cost (y) = Cost per Mile (m) × Number of Miles (x) + Initial Rental Fee (b)
By substituting the respective values into the formula, we can also solve for the total cost given a specific number of miles driven:
Total Cost (y) = 0.79 × (Number of Miles) + 27
For example, if someone drives 100 miles, the total cost would be:
Total Cost = 0.79 × 100 + 27 = $106.90