High School

Tim's company offers a reimbursement package of [tex]$0.45[/tex] per mile plus [tex]$175[/tex] a year for maintenance. If [tex]$x$[/tex] represents the number of miles, which equation below models [tex]$C$[/tex], the total amount of reimbursement the company offers?

A. [tex]C = 0.45 + 175[/tex]

B. [tex]C = 0.45x + 175[/tex]

C. [tex]C = 45x + 175[/tex]

D. [tex]C = 0.45 + 175x[/tex]

Answer :

To solve the problem, let's break it down step-by-step:

1. Understanding the Reimbursement Package:
- Tim's company offers two components for reimbursement:
- [tex]$0.45 per mile driven.
- A fixed amount of $[/tex]175 per year for maintenance.

2. Translating the Information to a Mathematical Model:
- Let [tex]\( x \)[/tex] represent the number of miles driven.
- The reimbursement for the mileage is calculated as [tex]\( 0.45 \times x \)[/tex], which represents [tex]$0.45 per mile.
- Additionally, the $[/tex]175 is a fixed annual reimbursement for maintenance.

3. Formulating the Equation for Total Reimbursement ([tex]\( C \)[/tex]):
- The total reimbursement [tex]\( C \)[/tex] is the sum of the mileage reimbursement and the maintenance reimbursement. This can be expressed as:
[tex]\[
C = 0.45x + 175
\][/tex]

4. Selecting the Correct Equation from the Given Options:
Let's compare this equation with the options provided:
- A. [tex]\( C = 0.45 + 175 \)[/tex]
- B. [tex]\( C = 0.45x + 175 \)[/tex]
- C. [tex]\( C = 45x + 175 \)[/tex]
- D. [tex]\( C = 0.45 + 175x \)[/tex]

The correct equation is B: [tex]\( C = 0.45x + 175 \)[/tex] because it correctly models the cost per mile ([tex]\( 0.45x \)[/tex]) and adds the fixed maintenance cost ($175).

Therefore, the correct answer is B.