To determine the cost of labor per hour, we need to set up an equation using the given information:

• Let x be the cost of labor per hour.
• The technician worked for 3 hours, so the total labor cost is $3x$.
• The parts cost $61.
• The total cost was $226.

The total cost is the sum of the labor cost and the parts cost, so we can write the equation:

$3x + 61 = 226$

Solving the equation:

1. Subtract 61 from both sides: $3x = 226 - 61$ $3x = 165$

2. Divide both sides by 3 to solve for $x$: $x = \frac{165}{3}$ $x = 55$

Conclusion:

The cost of labor per hour is $55.

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Would you like more details or have any other questions? Here are 5 related questions:

1. How would the equation change if the technician worked for 4 hours instead?
2. If the parts had cost $80, what would be the labor cost per hour?
3. How can you check if the calculated labor rate is correct?
4. What if there was a discount on the total bill? How would that affect the equation?
5. If Ella had a $10 coupon, how would that impact the equation?

Tip: Always double-check your final answer by substituting it back into the original equation!