restaurants typically pay wait staff an hourly wage that is lower than minimum wage. the wait staff is expected to make up the difference in tips. the minimum wage is $5.15 per hour and a restaurant pays the wait staff $4 per hour

a. if a waitress works an 8-hour shift, write and solve an inequality that gives the total tips t in dollars that the waitress must earn in an 8-hour shift in order to meet or exceed the minimum wage
b. if the waitress makes $10.40 in tips during an 8-hour shift, will she meet or exceed the minimum wage? by how much?
c. if the waitress makes $9.20 in tips during an hour 8-hour shift will she meet or exceed the minimum wage? by how much?

1 answer

a. Let x = total tips.

(32 + x)/8 ≥ 5.15

Use this equation to deal with b and c.