Under her cell phone plan, Caroline pays a flat cost of $54.50 per month and $5 per gigabyte. She wants to keep her bill at $74 per month. Write and solve an equation which can be used to determine g, the number of gigabytes of data Caroline can use while staying within her budget.

To solve this problem, we need to create an equation that represents Caroline's total bill and use it to find the number of gigabytes (g) she can use while keeping her bill at $74 per month.

### Step 1: Define the variables.
- The flat cost per month is $54.50.
- The cost per gigabyte of data is $5.
- Her total monthly budget is $74.
- Let $ g $ represent the number of gigabytes of data.

### Step 2: Write the equation.
The total cost of the bill is the flat fee plus the cost for the gigabytes of dataTo solve this problem, we need to create an equation that represents Caroline's total bill and use it to find the number of gigabytes (g) she can use while keeping her bill at $74 per month.

### Step 1: Define the variables.
- The flat cost per month is $54.50.
- The cost per gigabyte of data is $5.
- Her total monthly budget is $74.
- Let $ g $ represent the number of gigabytes of data.

### Step 2: Write the equation.
The total cost of the bill is the flat fee plus the cost for the gigabytes of 
\[
\text{Total cost} = 54.50 + 5g
\]
We want the total cost to be $74, so the equation becomes:
\[
54.50 + 5g = 74
\]

### Step 3: Solve the equation.
To find $ g $, follow these steps:
1. Subtract 54.50 from both sides of the equation:
\[
5g = 74 - 54.50
\]
\[
5g = 19.50
\]
2. Divide both sides by 5:
\[
g = \frac{19.50}{5} = 3.9
\]

### Final Answer:
Caroline can use 3.9 gigabytes of data while staying within her $74 budget.

Would you like more details or have any questions?

---

Here are 5 related questions to expand on this topic:
1. What would happen if Caroline wanted to lower her monthly bill to $70?
2. How much would her bill be if she used 5 gigabytes of data?
3. If the cost per gigabyte increased to $6, how many gigabytes could she use while staying under $74?
4. What would Caroline's total bill be if she didn't use any data at all?
5. How could Caroline reduce her data usage to save on her monthly bill?

**Tip:** Always break down word problems into manageable steps by identifying variables and creating an equation based on the given information.

Find out how many gigabytes Caroline can use to keep her phone bill at $74 per month. This linear equation problem involves algebraic concepts and solving for g in the equation 54.50 + 5g = 74. Suitable for Grades 6-8.

Math Problem Statement

Solution

Ask a new question for Free

By Image

Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Formulas

Theorems

Suitable Grade Level

Related Recommendation