word probl

[Ericca]

Darrell is making arrangements to pick up a client at the airport. Airport taxi charges $6.00, plus $0.50 per kilometre. Airport limo charges a flat rate of $40 for its limousine service.
a)Write a system of equations that describes the cost of the taxi and limoousine.
b)solve the system you wrote in a
c) Explain what the solution to the sytem represents.
d) Darrell is trying to decide whether the taxi or the limo is cheaper. What advice would you give Darrell?

[HallsofIvy]

Shouldn't this be in the homework section? (And shouldn't you show us what you have already done?)

The equation for the limousine is easy! Letting L be the cost of the limosine and x the distance driven: L= 40, of course.
The equation for the taxi is almost as easy: Letting T be the cost of the taxi and x the distance driven: T= 6+ 0.50x.

b) I have no idea what you mean by "solve the system you wrote in a". In the first place, it's not really a system- it's two separate equations. In the second, what do you want to solve for?

c) Uh, yeah, that's what I'd like you to do!

d) Okay, I suspect that the problem wants you to set L= T in the two equations and solve for x: the distance at which the two costs are the same. Below that distance, the taxi is cheaper, beyond, the limousine is cheaper.