document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=55501>Question 55501</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> 2)  In most businesses, increasing prices of products can negatively impact the number of customers. A bus company in a small town has an average number of riders of 800 per day. The bus company charges $2.25 for a ride. They conducted a survey of their customers and found that they will lose approximately 40 customers per day for each $.25 increase in fare.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "Let the number of riders be a function of the fare charged.  Graph the function, identify the graph of the function (line, parabola, hyperbola, or exponential), find the slope of the graph, find the price at which there will be no more riders, and the maximum number of riders possible.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "Graph: \r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "Thanks for any help you may provide I don,t know how to graph this could you help please thank you tine </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #37705 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Hook><B>Hook(36)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-07.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Hook><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/nopicture.jpg><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=37705\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> You know right away that this is a line. Every $0.25 change in price means a change of 40 customers...a linear relationship. Besides, they ask for the slope...that's a characteristic of a line.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Let's find the slope. At $2.25, 800 customers ride the bus. At $2.50, 760 folks will ride the bus. Remember the formula for slope m=(y2-y1)/(x2-x1)<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Here's what I get when I plug it in:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "m = (760-800)/(2.5-2.25)<BR>\n" );
document.write( "m = -40/.25<BR>\n" );
document.write( "m = -160<BR>\n" );
document.write( "The slope of the line is -160 passengers per dollar.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Let's come up with an equation for our bus-rider line. In slope-intercept form, its y=mx+b<BR>\n" );
document.write( "We know m, and we can plug in a point for x and y. Lets do that:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "800 = -160(2.25)+b<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Simplifying<BR>\n" );
document.write( "800 = -360 +b<BR>\n" );
document.write( "And adding 360 to both sides<BR>\n" );
document.write( "1160 = b<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Our line is y = -160x+1160<BR>\n" );
document.write( "If we make the bus free (ie.. set x=0), how many people will ride? Let's see<BR>\n" );
document.write( "y=-160(0)+1160<BR>\n" );
document.write( "y = 1160<BR>\n" );
document.write( "1160 folks will ride the bus max.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Ok...what price will cause there to be no riders (ie...set y=0)?<BR>\n" );
document.write( "0 = -160x +1160<BR>\n" );
document.write( "-1160 = -160x<BR>\n" );
document.write( "7.25 = x<BR>\n" );
document.write( "7.25 is the price that will cause nobody to ride the bus </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</TD></TR></TABLE>\n" );