SOLUTION: Hi....I am having a really hard time with word problems. I am not sure how to make this into an equation. Please help!!! Assume car 1 costs $20,000 to buy and 20 cents per mile

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Question 163674: Hi....I am having a really hard time with word problems. I am not sure how to make this into an equation. Please help!!!
Assume car 1 costs $20,000 to buy and 20 cents per mile to operate, and car 2 costs $25,000 to buy and 16 cents to operate. How many miles must the cars be driven before the costs are the same? What is the cost per car at that moment?
Thank You...Kathy Gafford
Answer by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Assume car 1 costs $20,000 to buy and 20 cents per mile to operate, and car 2 costs $25,000 to buy and 16 cents to operate. How many miles must the cars be driven before the costs are the same?
:
Let m = no. of miles driven for the cost to be the same on both cars
:
Car 1 cost = 20000 + .20m
:
Car 2 cost = 25000 + .16m
:
Make the cost of these two car equal to each other, solve for m:
:
Car 1 cost = Car 2 cost
20000 + .2m = 25000 + .16m
:
Some basic algebra here
.20m -.16m = 25000 - 20000
.04m = 5000
m =
m = 125,000 miles
:
What is the cost per car at that moment?
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Substitute 125000 for m in the car1 equation
Car1 = 20000 + .20(125000)
C1 = 20000 + 25000
C1 = $45000
:
Do same in car2 cost equation, to confirm our solution
Car2 = 25000 + .16(125000)
C2 = 25000 + 20000
C2 = $45000
:
Did you understand this? Did it make sense to you.
Let me know if you have any questions about it.