A book-of-the-month club charges dollars for the first book purchased during the month and an additional dollars for each book after the first. Which equation describes this situation, where is the total cost, in dollars, for books purchased during a month, is the number of books purchased during the month, and ?
Explanation
Answer: C.
Explanation:1. Analyze the cost structure: - Cost for the first book: $ (this applies if ). - Cost for each additional book (any book after the first): $.
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Determine the number of additional books: If is the total number of books purchased: - If , there are additional books. - If , the number of additional books is .
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Formulate the cost of the additional books: The cost for additional books, each costing $, is dollars. This term is only applicable if . If , this term is .
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Formulate the total cost y: The total cost is the sum of the cost for the first book and the cost for any additional books. Total cost This can also be written as .
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Verify the equation for some values of x (given ): - If (one book): . This is correct. - If (two books): Cost should be $ (for first) + $ (for second) = $. Using the formula: . This is correct. - If (three books): Cost should be $14 + 14 = \44y = 14(3-1) + 16 = 14(2) + 16 = 28 + 16 = 44$. This is correct.
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Check the solution with the options: Our derived equation is . This matches option [C].
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Conclusion: The equation that describes this situation is .