Question 24·Hard·Linear Functions
The monthly bill , in dollars, for a smartphone data plan is a linear function of the total data used, , in gigabytes, for usage between 5 GB and 15 GB. One customer who used 6 GB paid $45, and another customer who used 14 GB paid $85.
According to this model, how many gigabytes did a customer who paid $67 use?
For SAT linear-function word problems, first convert the story into coordinate points, using the input (like gigabytes) as and the output (like cost) as . Compute the slope from the two points, then plug one point into to find the intercept and write the full equation. Finally, substitute the requested output (here, ) into the equation and solve for the input, checking that your result is in the given range and is reasonable relative to the original data.
Hints
Represent the information as points
Think of each customer as a point , where is data in gigabytes and is the bill in dollars. What are the two points you are given?
Find the rate of change
Use the two given points to compute the slope (rate of change) of the line: . This tells you how many dollars per gigabyte the plan charges.
Write and use the linear equation
Once you know the slope, write as a linear function of in the form . Use one of the points to solve for , then plug in and solve for .
Check that your answer makes sense
Is your value of between 5 GB and 15 GB, as the problem states? If not, recheck your algebra and arithmetic.
Desmos Guide
Find the linear equation from the two points
In Desmos, type (6,45) and (14,85) on separate lines to plot the two known points. Then type y1 ~ m x1 + b on a new line; Desmos will fit a line through the points and show values for m and b. Note the exact values of m (slope) and b (intercept).
Graph the bill function and the target bill
On a new line, enter the function using those m and b values, for example y = m x + b. On another line, enter y = 67 to represent the $67 bill as a horizontal line.
Use the intersection to find the data used
Tap the point where the line y = m x + b intersects the horizontal line y = 67. The x‑coordinate of this intersection is the number of gigabytes the customer used according to the model.
Step-by-step Explanation
Translate the situation into coordinates
The bill is a linear function of data .
We can treat each customer as a point on a line:
- The first customer: 6 GB and $45 point .
- The second customer: 14 GB and $85 point .
We want to find when (a point on the same line).
Find the slope (cost per gigabyte)
For a linear function, the slope is the rate of change:
Compute this:
So the plan charges $5 for each additional gigabyte of data in this range.
Write the equation for the bill
Use slope–intercept form , where is the slope and is the fixed base fee.
We already know , so start with
Plug in one of the known points, for example , to find :
So the equation relating bill and data is
Set the bill to 67 and solve for the data used
Now set and solve for :
Subtract 15 from both sides:
Divide both sides by 5:
So a customer who paid $67 used 10.4 gigabytes, which corresponds to answer choice B.