SOLUTION: Please help, I'm lost on how to solve this problem. The cost of driving a car include both fixed costs and milege costs. Assume that it costs $172.90 per month for insurance and

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Question 776720: Please help, I'm lost on how to solve this problem.
The cost of driving a car include both fixed costs and milege costs. Assume that it costs $172.90 per month for insurance and car payments and $0.34 per mile for gasoline, oil, and routine maintenance.
Find values for m and b so that y=mx+b models the monthly cost of driving the car x miles.
What does the value of b represent?
Answer by josgarithmetic(39617) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
x is for miles per month, a variable.
m is used with x in the manner, mx = the cost according to miles per month.
If you want y to be the monthly cost for using the car, then the next cost contribution is the fixed cost of $172.90.
The meaning for m is the $0.34 per mile.

Summary: Variable cost is+mx=0.34%2Ax
Fixed cost is $172.80

Using y as the monthly cost to operate this car,
highlight%28y=0.34x%2B172.90%29
The b from general form of the linear equation is the y intercept. When the car is not used in the one month period, the cost is still at least that value, b=172.90.