(a)

Make sure to answer Parts A, B, and C using the table.

The information on the table is for two pay-as-you-go cell phone companies.

Cell City
Smart Mobile
2.5 hours for $8

1
2
2
1

hour for $1.75

Part A

What is the unit cost, in dollars, for each company?

(Enter values only; do not enter units)

Cell City

$
per hour

Smart Mobile

$
per hour

(b)
Part B

Based on their unit rates, which company offers the best deal?

A
Cell City, because the unit cost is lower.

B
Smart Mobile, because the unit cost is higher.

C
Smart Mobile, because the unit cost is lower.

D
Cell City, because the unit cost is higher.

(c)
Part C

Show/explain the steps for calculating the unit costs.

Be sure to explain work for both Cell City and Smart Mobile.

It is okay to use a calculator to check your work (but still explain the calculations you did).

1 answer

To calculate and compare the unit costs for each cell phone company, we'll break down the process into clear steps for each company.

Part A

Cell City:

  • Total Cost: $8

  • Total Hours: 2.5 hours

  • Unit Cost Calculation:
    \[ \text{Unit Cost} = \frac{\text{Total Cost}}{\text{Total Hours}} = \frac{8}{2.5} \]

    To calculate: \[ 8 \div 2.5 = 3.2 \]

So for Cell City, the unit cost is $3.20 per hour.

Smart Mobile:

  • Total Cost: $1.75

  • Total Hours: 1 hour

  • Unit Cost Calculation:
    \[ \text{Unit Cost} = \frac{\text{Total Cost}}{\text{Total Hours}} = \frac{1.75}{1} \]

    Thus, the unit cost for Smart Mobile is $1.75 per hour.

Values for Part A

  • Cell City: 3.20
  • Smart Mobile: 1.75

Part B

Based on the unit rates calculated:

  • Cell City: $3.20 per hour
  • Smart Mobile: $1.75 per hour

Statement: Smart Mobile offers the lower unit cost.

The answer is: C. Smart Mobile, because the unit cost is lower.


Part C

Explanation of Calculation Steps:

  1. Cell City:

    • First, we identified the total cost for Cell City, which is $8, and the total provided service time, which is 2.5 hours.
    • To find the cost per hour, we divided the total cost by the total hours: \[ 8 \div 2.5 = 3.2 \]
    • We calculated 8 divided by 2.5, which gives us a unit cost of $3.20 per hour.
  2. Smart Mobile:

    • For Smart Mobile, the total cost is $1.75 for 1 hour of service.
    • The calculation for unit cost was straightforward since it's just dividing the total cost by the total hours: \[ 1.75 \div 1 = 1.75 \]
    • Thus, Smart Mobile's unit cost is simply $1.75 per hour.

By comparing these unit costs from both Cell City and Smart Mobile, we concluded that Smart Mobile, with a unit cost of $1.75 per hour, offers the best deal.

Similar Questions
  1. Make sure to answer Parts A, B, and C using the table.The information on the table is for two pay-as-you-go cell phone
    1. answers icon 1 answer
  2. Make sure to answer Parts A, B, and C using the table.The information on the table is for two pay-as-you-go cell phone
    1. answers icon 1 answer
  3. Make sure to answer Parts A, B, and C using the table.The information on the table is for two pay-as-you-go cell phone
    1. answers icon 1 answer
  4. (a) Make a table of values rounded to two decimal places for the functionf(x) = ex for x = 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, and 6. Then use the
    1. answers icon 1 answer
more similar questions