PSAT Math Multiple-Choice Question 300: Answer and Explanation

Question: 300

Jenna is renting a car while on a business trip. The cost is $54.95 per day, which is taxed at a rate of 6 percent. The car rental company charges an additional one-time, untaxed environmental impact fee of $10. Which of the following equations represents Jenna's total cost, in dollars, for renting the car for d days?

• A. c = (54.95 + 0.06d) + 10
• B. c = 1.06(54.95d) + 10
• C. c = 1.06(54.95d + 10)
• D. c = 1.06(54.95 + 10)d

Correct Answer: B

Explanation:

B

Difficulty: Medium

Category: Word Problems

Getting to the Answer: Use the information in the question to write your own equation, then look for the answer choice that matches. Simplify your equation only if you don't find a match. Start with the cost, not including tax or the environmental impact fee. If Jenna rents a car for d days at a daily rate of $54.95, the untaxed total is 54.95d. There is a 6% tax added to this amount, so multiply by 1.06 to get 1.06(54.95d). The $10.00 environmental impact fee is not taxed, so simply add 10 to your expression. The total cost is c = 1.06(54.95d) + 10, which matches (B), so you do not need to simplify.