On Saturdays, Jason mows yards and washes cars. He charges $25 per yard and an additional cost for each car he washes. Last Saturday, Jason mowed 5 yards and washed 10 cars. He made a total of $225, and the equation `5(25)+10x=225` describes the amount of money he made that Saturday. What does the variable `x` represent in this situation?
The variable `x` represents the additional cost for each car that Jason washes.
The variable `x` represents the additional cost for each car that Jason washes.
In this situation, the variable `x` represents the additional cost Jason charges for each car he washes.
To understand how to get the answer, let's break down the given information and the equation:
1. Jason mows 5 yards and washes 10 cars.
2. He charges $25 per yard.
3. He made a total of $225.
The equation `5(25) + 10x = 225` represents the amount of money Jason made that Saturday. The term `5(25)` is the total money earned from mowing yards, which is $125 (since 5 multiplied by 25 is 125). The term `10x` represents the total money earned from washing cars, where `x` is the additional cost per car washed.
To solve the equation, we need to find the value of `x`. Here's how:
1. Subtract `5(25)` from both sides of the equation: `225 - 5(25) + 10x = 225 - 125 + 10x`.
This simplifies to: `10x = 100`.
2. Divide both sides of the equation by 10 to isolate `x`: `10x / 10 = 100 / 10`.
This simplifies to: `x = 10`.
Therefore, the variable `x` represents the additional cost Jason charges for each car he washes, which is $10 in this situation.