Answer: The initial cost to the company is $-75.
Explanation:
To determine the initial cost to the company using the equation provided (c = 5.25t - 75), we need to understand what each variable represents:
- c: The cost to the company in dollars
- t: The time (usually measured in hours, days, or weeks)
Since the initial cost refers to the cost at the beginning (t = 0), we can plug t = 0 into the equation and solve for c:
c = 5.25(0) - 75
c = 0 - 75
c = -75
In this context, the initial cost to the company is $-75. It might seem unusual for the cost to be negative; however, this could be interpreted as the company having an initial credit or saving of $75 before any time has been spent on the project. Please note that the specific interpretation of this negative value depends on the context of the problem and the real-world situation being modeled by the equation.