Question

How do I write an algebraic expression to model the cost of a telephone call?

Answers

GPT-4o mini
To write an algebraic expression to model the cost of a telephone call, you'll need to consider a few key components that typically affect the cost.

1. **Base Fee**: Many telephone services have a base rate or fixed fee for making a call, regardless of the duration. Let's denote this base fee as \( C_b \).

2. **Cost Per Minute**: There is often a charge for each minute of the call. You can denote the cost per minute as \( C_m \).

3. **Duration of the Call**: Let’s represent the duration of the call in minutes as \( t \).

With these components, you can construct the algebraic expression for the total cost \( C \) of the call:

\[
C = C_b + (C_m \times t)
\]

Where:
- \( C \) is the total cost of the call.
- \( C_b \) is the base fee.
- \( C_m \) is the cost per minute.
- \( t \) is the duration of the call in minutes.

For example, if the base fee is $1.00 and the cost per minute is $0.20, and the call lasted for 10 minutes, the expression would look like this:

\[
C = 1.00 + (0.20 \times 10) = 1.00 + 2.00 = 3.00
\]

Thus, the total cost for the call would be $3.00. Adjust the values of \( C_b \) and \( C_m \) according to your specific situation to use the model correctly.

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