Question

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?

Answer 1

a. Let x = total tips.

(32 + x)/8 ≥ 5.15

Use this equation to deal with b and c.