How to write an equation for this problem: A boat rental company charges a $5 usage fee and $10 an hour to rent a canoe. How long did you rent the canoe if you were charged $45?
first you represent the unknown with variable:
let x = number of hours you rent the canoe
then we set-up the equation. since the rate is $10 per hour, we multiply the number of hours (which is x) by 10 and add the usage fee to get the total amount. thus,
10x + 5 = 45
hope this helps~ :)
To write an equation for this problem, we can break it down into two components: the usage fee and the hourly charge for renting the canoe.
Let's denote the time you rented the canoe as "t" (in hours).
The usage fee is $5, which is a fixed amount and independent of the rental duration.
The hourly charge for renting the canoe is $10 per hour. So, the total cost of renting the canoe depends on the number of hours you rent it.
Hence, the equation would be:
Total Cost = Usage Fee + Hourly Charge
$45 = $5 + $10t
To find out how long you rented the canoe, we need to solve this equation for "t".
$45 - $5 = $10t
$40 = $10t
Dividing both sides of the equation by $10, we get:
$t = 4
Therefore, you rented the canoe for 4 hours.