To analyze the function \( f(x) = 0.62x + 8.25 \), where \( x \) represents the gallons of water used and \( f(x) \) represents the monthly bill in dollars, we can determine two key components of the monthly bill:
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Monthly cost of water service: This is represented by the constant term in the equation. The constant term indicates the base fee for the service, regardless of the amount of water used. In this case, it is \( 8.25 \) dollars.
Answer: The monthly cost of water service is $8.25.
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Cost per gallon of water used: This is represented by the coefficient of \( x \) in the equation. This term indicates the variable cost that depends on the number of gallons used. In this case, the cost per gallon is \( 0.62 \) dollars.
Answer: The cost per gallon of water used is $0.62.