Question:
Variable costs, fixed costs, total costs. Bridget Ashton is getting ready to open a small restaurant. She is on a tight budget and must choose between the following long-distance phone plans:
Plan A: Pay 10 cents per minute of long-distance calling.
Plan B: Pay a fixed monthly fee of $15 for up to 240 long-distance minutes, and 8 cents per minute thereafter (if she uses fewer than 240 minutes in any month, she still pays $15 for the month).
Plan C: Pay a fixed monthly fee of $22 for up to 510 long-distance minutes and 5 cents per minute thereafter (if she uses fewer than 510 minutes, she still pays $22 for the month).
1. Draw a graph of the total monthly costs of the three plans for different levels of monthly long-distance calling.
2. Which plan should Ashton choose if she expects to make 100 minutes of long-distance calls? 240 minutes? 540 minutes?