Number of Months Cost ($)
1 74
2 99
3 124
4 149
The table below shows the cost for a gym membership at the local fitness center with an initial start-up fee charged in the first month. Find the slope, or monthly cost.
$25
$49
$37.25
$74
To find the slope or monthly cost, we need to determine the rate at which the cost increases per month.
We can do this by finding the difference in cost between two consecutive months and dividing it by the difference in the number of months.
For example, the difference in cost between the first and second month is $99 - $74 = $25, and the difference in the number of months is 2 - 1 = 1.
The monthly cost, or the slope, is therefore $25 / 1 = $25.
So the answer is $25.