Math Problem of the Week - Algebra and Up - Mar. 13, 2022 to Mar. 19, 2022

Algebra and Up: 

Question: It costs $20 to rent a jet ski, plus $1.50 for each hour of use, plus the cost of gas. James rents a jet ski for 2 hours. He uses 3 quarts of gas, which costs $2.98 per gallon. How much does the jet ski rental cost in total?

Answer: $25.24

Solution: To find the price of the rentals, we can use the expression $20 + $1.50t + $2.98g wherein t is the number of hours spent with the jet skis and g is the gallons of gas used. James rented 1 jet ski for 2 hours and used ¾ of a gallon of gas, so he spent $20 + $1.50(2) + $2.98(.75) = $25.24 after rounding.