Parking in a student lot cost $2 for the first half hour and $1.25 for each hour thereafter. A partial hour is charged the same as a full hour. What is the longest time that a student can park in this lot for $9?
Simplify your answer.
9 - 2 = 7
7/1.25 = 5.6 = 5 hours
To find the longest time a student can park in the lot for $9, we can set up an equation.
Let's say the number of hours the student parks after the first half hour is "x".
Since the first half hour costs $2, the remaining amount of money to spend on parking is $9 - $2 = $7.
Now, let's establish the cost of parking for each hour. The cost for each full hour is $1.25, so the remaining amount of money after paying for x hours is $7 - $1.25x.
Since we want to find the longest time the student can park for $9, we need to find the value of x that satisfies the equation $7 - $1.25x = 0.
To solve this equation, we can subtract $7 from both sides of the equation:
$1.25x = $7
Then, divide both sides of the equation by $1.25:
x = $7 / $1.25
Simplifying further:
x = 5.6
Therefore, the longest time that a student can park in this lot for $9 is 5.6 hours.