To write an equation that represents the total cost (y) of a gym membership based on the number of months (x), we need to account for both the monthly cost and the initial registration fee.
The monthly cost is $24.00, so for \( x \) months, the cost would be \( 24x \). There is also a one-time registration fee of $88. Therefore, the total cost \( y \) can be represented by the equation:
\[ y = 24x + 88 \]
Here, \( y \) represents the total cost, and \( x \) represents the number of months.