Question

Difficulty: EasyInterpreting Linear Relationships in Context

A custom t-shirt printing company charges a one-time design setup fee plus a fixed price for each t-shirt printed. The total cost, CC, in dollars, for an order of nn t-shirts is given by the equation C=15n+50C = 15n + 50. What does the number 5050 represent in this equation?

  1. The one-time design setup fee, in dollarsAnswer
  2. B
    The price, in dollars, for each printed t-shirt
  3. C
    The total cost, in dollars, for an order of 1 t-shirt
  4. D
    The number of t-shirts that are printed in an order that has no setup fee

Answer

The one-time design setup fee, in dollars
The constant term 5050 in the linear equation C=15n+50C = 15n + 50 represents the initial value of the cost function when no t-shirts are ordered (n=0n = 0). In this context, this represents the one-time design setup fee.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the structure of the linear equation C=15n+50C = 15n + 50.
The equation is in the slope-intercept form y=mx+by = mx + b, where CC is the total cost, nn is the number of t-shirts, 1515 is the slope, and 5050 is the y-intercept.
Analyzing the linear equation structure helps map its parts to the contextual scenario.
2
Interpret the constant term 5050 within the context.
The constant term represents the value of CC when n=0n = 0, which is C=15(0)+50=50C = 15(0) + 50 = 50 dollars.
When no t-shirts are printed, the only cost incurred is the initial flat setup fee.

Key Concept

Interpreting the y-intercept of a linear relationship in context
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