Question

A local arcade charges $15 for unlimited play time for the first hour then $5 per additional hour. Write an equation that represents the cost to play C based on the number of hours played h. Then use the equation to calculate how much it would cost to play for three hours. Enter your answer for C including cents

Answer 1

To create an equation that represents the cost to play, we can break it down based on the hours played:

• For the first hour, the cost is $15.
• For any additional hour(s) played after the first hour, the cost is $5 per hour.

We can express the total cost \( C \) as follows:

\[ C(h) = 15 + 5 \times (h - 1) \]

This equation works for \( h \geq 1 \) (since you must play at least one hour).

Now, let's calculate the cost for playing for 3 hours:

1. Substitute \( h = 3 \) into the equation:

\[ C(3) = 15 + 5 \times (3 - 1) \]

2. Simplify the equation:

\[ C(3) = 15 + 5 \times 2 \] \[ C(3) = 15 + 10 \] \[ C(3) = 25 \]

Therefore, the cost to play for 3 hours is $25.00.