Miguel wants to buy a new stereo that costs $320. He has $40 in March, $80 in April, and $120 in May. If this pattern continues, in what month will he be able to buy the stereo?
Starting from February, after m months, he has 40m dollars. So, when does
40m = 320?
m=8
So, what's 8 months after February?
To find out in which month Miguel will be able to buy the stereo, we need to calculate how much money he will have each month until he reaches or exceeds $320.
We first need to determine the pattern of Miguel's savings. From March to April, there's an increase of $40 ($80 - $40). From April to May, there's an increase of $40 ($120 - $80).
To continue the pattern, we assume that there will be another $40 increase for the next month. So, from May to June, Miguel will have $160 ($120 + $40).
Continuing this pattern, we can determine the savings for subsequent months:
- June: $200 ($160 + $40)
- July: $240 ($200 + $40)
- August: $280 ($240 + $40)
- September: $320 ($280 + $40)
Therefore, Miguel will be able to buy the stereo in the month of September.