Context for the problem coming up: Before streaming became popular, families had to visit video rental stores like Blockbuster and Hollywood Video to rent movies. The graph compares the costs at both locations: Blockbuster charges a $3 monthly membership fee and $0.75 for each movie rented, while Hollywood Video charges a $5 monthly membership fee but only $0.50 per movie rented.

Question

The Problem: Describe a scenario in the words of a 7th grader which it would be cheaper to have a Blockbuster membership, and then describe a scenario where a Hollywood Video membership would be the more affordable option.

Answer 1

Sure! Here’s how a 7th grader might explain it:

Scenario for Blockbuster being cheaper:

"Okay, so think about this. If I only want to rent one movie a month, Blockbuster is totally the better deal! They have a $3 membership fee and then it costs $0.75 for one movie. So, if I do the math, it’s $3 for the membership plus $0.75 for the movie, which is $3.75 total. If I go to Hollywood Video, they charge a $5 membership fee and only $0.50 for a movie, so that would be $5 for the membership plus $0.50 for the movie, which is $5.50 total. So, for just one movie, Blockbuster is cheaper!"

Scenario for Hollywood Video being cheaper:

"But if I’m planning on watching a lot of movies, like maybe three movies in a month, Hollywood Video would be the better choice. So for Blockbuster, I’d pay $3 for the membership and $0.75 each for three movies. That would be $3 + (3 x $0.75) = $3 + $2.25 = $5.25 total. But for Hollywood Video, I’d pay $5 for the membership and $0.50 for each of the three movies. That’s $5 + (3 x $0.50) = $5 + $1.50 = $6.50. Okay, so that sounds more expensive, but if I actually rent four movies, it would change! Blockbuster would be $3 + (4 x $0.75) = $3 + $3 = $6, but Hollywood Video would be $5 + (4 x $0.50) = $5 + $2 = $7. So if I plan to watch less than four movies a month, Blockbuster is cheaper, but if I’m hitting five or more movies, Blockbuster starts getting more expensive, so I would just need to calculate how many movies I’m renting. But definitely, if I’m watching a lot like 10 movies, then Hollywood Video becomes way cheaper! Because Blockbuster would be $12.50 total while Hollywood Video would only be $10.50 total! So I’d save money with Hollywood Video!"