Number of Months
1
2
3
4
Cost ($)
74
99
124
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.
(1 point)
• $49
• $37.25
0 $74
• $25
The slope, or monthly cost, can be found by taking the difference in cost between two consecutive months and dividing it by the number of months in between.
For example, to find the slope between the cost in the first month ($74) and the cost in the second month ($99):
Slope = (99 - 74) / (2 - 1) = $25
Similarly, for the slope between the cost in the second month ($99) and the cost in the third month ($124):
Slope = (124 - 99) / (3 - 2) = $25
And for the slope between the cost in the third month ($124) and the cost in the fourth month ($149):
Slope = (149 - 124) / (4 - 3) = $25
Therefore, the monthly cost (slope) is $25.