Final answer:
The question involves calculating the total cost of purchasing custom T-shirts with a one-time setup fee from Hot shirts. By multiplying the cost per T-shirt by the number of shirts and adding the setup fee, the total cost is determined. An algebraic expression can be used to represent the total cost for any quantity of T-shirts ordered.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question relates to understanding the cost of purchasing custom T-shirts from a company referred to as Hot shirts. The company advertises custom T-shirts for a base cost of $5 each with an additional one-time set up fee of $30. To further understand this pricing structure, let's consider an example. Suppose someone wants to order 10 custom T-shirts. The cost would be calculated by multiplying the number of T-shirts by the cost per shirt and then adding the setup fee. So, it would be 10 T-shirts x $5/T-shirt + $30 setup fee.
Using this formula, the total cost would be: $5 x 10 + $30 = $50 + $30 = $80.
This concept can be formulated into an algebraic expression to calculate the total cost (C) for any number of T-shirts (n). The formula would be: C = 5n + 30. For instance, if a school wanted to purchase T-shirts for a group of 111 students, the total cost would be: C = 5(111) + 30, which simplifies to C = $585.
This example aligns with a similar concept presented with the tutoring school's pricing structure in the provided reference, where there is a one-time enrollment fee in addition to a recurring cost. The equation representing that structure is: Cost = $3000/year + $500 enrollment fee.
The understanding of how a flat fee combined with a variable cost leads to a total cost is thus central to solving these types of mathematical problems in a real-world context.