At TelePower Plus, long-distance phone calls to China cost $0.59 for the first minute and $0.25 for each additional minute, plus an additional roaming charge of $2.50. If the total charge of a call to Beijing was $11.84, how many minutes did the call last?
11.84 - 2.50 = 9.34
9.34 - 0.59 = 8.75
8.75 / 0.25 = 35
35 + 1 = 36 minutes
To find the number of minutes the call lasted, we can use a step-by-step approach.
Step 1: Let's assume the call lasted "x" minutes.
Step 2: The cost for the first minute is $0.59, so there is a charge of $0.59 for the first minute.
Step 3: The cost for each additional minute after the first minute is $0.25, so there is a charge of $(x-1) * $0.25 for the additional minutes.
Step 4: There is an additional roaming charge of $2.50.
Step 5: The total charge for the call is $11.84.
Step 6: Putting it all together, the equation for the total charge is:
$0.59 + $(x-1) * $0.25 + $2.50 = $11.84
Step 7: Simplifying the equation, we get:
$0.59 + $0.25x - $0.25 + $2.50 = $11.84
Step 8: Combining like terms, we get:
$2.84 + $0.25x = $11.84
Step 9: Subtracting $2.84 from both sides of the equation, we get:
$0.25x = $9.00
Step 10: Dividing both sides of the equation by $0.25, we get:
x = 36
Therefore, the call lasted 36 minutes.
To determine the number of minutes the call lasted, we need to set up an equation based on the given information.
Let's represent the number of additional minutes as "x".
The cost of the first minute is $0.59, and the cost of each additional minute is $0.25. So the cost of the additional minutes is 0.25x.
Adding the roaming charge of $2.50 to the cost of the call, we have:
Total cost = Cost of the first minute + Cost of additional minutes + Roaming charge
$11.84 = $0.59 + $0.25x + $2.50
Now, let's solve for "x":
$11.84 = $0.59 + $0.25x + $2.50
Subtract $0.59 and $2.50 from both sides:
$11.84 - $0.59 - $2.50 = $0.25x
$8.75 = $0.25x
To isolate "x", divide both sides of the equation by $0.25:
$8.75 / $0.25 = x
35 = x
Therefore, the call lasted for 35 additional minutes. To find the total duration of the call, we need to add the initial minute:
Total minutes = 1 (initial minute) + 35 (additional minutes) = 36 minutes
Thus, the call to Beijing lasted for 36 minutes.