Math Problem Statement

Answer this

Ahmed is working at a burger joint. His boss pays him $7.50 per hour and promises a raise of $0.25 per hour every 6 months. Which sequence describes Ahmed's expected hourly wages, in dollars, starting with his current wage?

Solution

Let's solve this step by step.

Ahmed starts with a wage of $7.50 per hour and gets a raise of $0.25 every 6 months. This means the sequence of his hourly wages will increase by $0.25 every term. So the sequence starts at $7.50, and each subsequent term will be $0.25 higher than the previous one.

Here is the sequence based on this setup:

  • Start: $7.50
  • After 6 months: $7.50 + $0.25 = $7.75
  • After another 6 months: $7.75 + $0.25 = $8.00
  • After another 6 months: $8.00 + $0.25 = $8.25
  • After another 6 months: $8.25 + $0.25 = $8.50
  • And so on...

Now, let's look at the answer choices:

  • A: This sequence increases too quickly.
  • B: This sequence shows the correct pattern: 7.75, 8.00, 8.25, 8.50, etc.
  • C: These numbers do not represent hourly wages.
  • D: This matches the correct values.
  • E: This is a decreasing sequence, which doesn’t fit the problem.

The correct answer is B, as it reflects a gradual increase of $0.25 every 6 months.

Do you want more details or have any other questions?

Here are 5 related questions to explore:

  1. How would the sequence change if the raise was $0.50 per hour every 6 months?
  2. What would be Ahmed’s hourly wage after 3 years of working?
  3. How many years would it take for Ahmed’s hourly wage to reach $10.00?
  4. What is the sum of Ahmed’s hourly wages over the first two years of work?
  5. How would the sequence change if Ahmed’s starting wage was $8.00 instead of $7.50?

Tip: Always identify the rate of change and apply it consistently to see if patterns match a sequence.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Arithmetic Sequence
Linear Progression

Formulas

nth term of an arithmetic sequence: a_n = a_1 + (n-1)d

Theorems

Arithmetic Sequence Formula

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 6-8