time(min): 0,15,30,60,75,90

total cost: 2, 10.25, 18.5, 35, 43.25, 51.5
Carlita is renting an electric bicycle to tour the city. To determine the cost, Carlita records the amount of time (in minutes) that people rent the bikes, and the total amount paid.
Her tour should take a total of 2 hours to see all of the landmarks that she would like to see. If she has $75, will she be able to complete her 2-hour tour? 

No, the tour cost is $84.50.

Yes, the tour cost is $68.

Yes, the tour cost is $35.

Yes, the tour cost is $57.

1 answer

To determine the cost of Carlita's 2-hour tour (120 minutes), we can observe the pattern of the total costs at the given time intervals:

  • At 0 minutes, the cost is $2.
  • At 15 minutes, the cost is $10.25.
  • At 30 minutes, the cost is $18.50.
  • At 60 minutes, the cost is $35.00.
  • At 75 minutes, the cost is $43.25.
  • At 90 minutes, the cost is $51.50.

To find the cost for 120 minutes, we can look for a trend or pattern in the costs related to the time. Let's determine how much she would pay for 120 minutes based on the existing data:

  1. From 0 to 15 minutes: Increase of $8.25
  2. From 15 to 30 minutes: Increase of $8.25
  3. From 30 to 60 minutes: Increase of $16.50
  4. From 60 to 75 minutes: Increase of $8.25
  5. From 75 to 90 minutes: Increase of $8.25

The observed patterns are that for the first 30 minutes there is a consistent increase, and afterward the increments show a slight fluctuation.

To estimate the cost for 120 minutes, we can extrapolate the existing price at 90 minutes and see if the trend continues. The last known price is $51.50 at 90 minutes.

Continuing the existing pattern of increments for the last segments, we can estimate:

  • From 90 to 120 minutes, if we assume that if the increment remains around $8.25:

Cost at 90min = $51.50 Estimated cost from 90 to 120 min (30 min added): $51.50 + (8.25 * 3.5) = $51.50 + $28.88 = $80.38.

This is assuming the increase is consistent. However, since this is likely an exponential growth cost structure, we would need to further define the pattern or conditions given the $75 budget.

Since $80.38 (estimated) is still higher than $75, it indicates that she would not be able to afford a 2-hour tour.

Hence, the options provided, the most reasonable answer based on calculations would seem closest to:

No, the tour cost is $84.50. (though the exact derived value is different but conveys the message of exceeding budget).