Parking in a student cost $3 for the first half hour and $1.50 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?
To find the longest time a student can park in this lot for $9, we need to determine the number of hours the student can park within this budget.
Let's break down the cost for parking:
1st half hour: $3
Each subsequent hour: $1.50
If we let the number of subsequent hours be represented by 'x', we can create an equation to represent the total cost:
Total cost = 3 + 1.5x
According to the problem, the total cost should be $9. So we can set up the equation:
3 + 1.5x = 9
To solve for 'x', we subtract 3 from both sides:
1.5x = 9 - 3
1.5x = 6
Next, divide both sides by 1.5:
x = 6 / 1.5
x = 4
Therefore, the student can park for 4 hours within a $9 budget.
Now, let's calculate the total time the student can park:
1st half hour: 1 × $3 = $3
Subsequent hours: 4 × $1.50 = $6
Adding these two amounts together, the total cost is $9.
Therefore, the longest time a student can park in this lot for $9 is 4 hours.
9 - 3 = 6
6/1.5 = 4
4 + 1/2 = 4 1/2 hours