document.write( "Question 176076: Jasmine is deciding between two cell-phone plans. The first plan has a $50 sign-up fee and costs $20 per month. The second plan has a $30 sign-up fee and costs $25 per month. After how many months will the total costs be the same? What will the be? If Jasmine has to dign a one-year contract, which plan will be cheaper? \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #131265 by EMStelley(208)![]() ![]() You can put this solution on YOUR website! First we need a variable to keep track of the number of months, let's call that m. Then for the first plan (50 for sign up and 20/month), the cost would be: \n" ); document.write( "Cost = 50+20m \n" ); document.write( "For the second plan (30 for sign up and 25/month), the cost would be: \n" ); document.write( "Cost = 30+25m \n" ); document.write( "To find out when they are the same, we just set them equal to each other: \n" ); document.write( "50+20m = 30+25m \n" ); document.write( "Subtract 20m from both sides: \n" ); document.write( "50=30+5m \n" ); document.write( "Subtract 30 from both sides: \n" ); document.write( "20=5m \n" ); document.write( "Divide both sides by 5: \n" ); document.write( "4=m \n" ); document.write( "So the plans will cost the same after 4 months. To know what that cost is, we just plug m=4 into either equation: \n" ); document.write( "Cost = 50+20(4)=50+80=$130 \n" ); document.write( "To find out the cost of each after a year (12 months), we plug in m=12 into both. \n" ); document.write( "50+20(12)=$290 \n" ); document.write( "30+25(12)=$330 \n" ); document.write( "So the first plan is cheaper for a one-year contract. \n" ); document.write( " |