To solve the problem of determining which inequality can help us figure out how many gifts can be bought with a gift card of [tex]$40.00, given some expenditures, let's break down the problem step-by-step.
1. Identify the Total Amount Available:
- The total amount on the gift card is $[/tex]40.00.
2. Identify the Fixed Cost:
- There is a fixed amount of [tex]$13.50 to be spent for oneself.
3. Identify the Variable Cost:
- Each gift for friends costs $[/tex]3.25, which we'll denote as [tex]\(3.25x\)[/tex], where [tex]\(x\)[/tex] represents the number of gifts bought.
4. Formulate the Total Cost:
- The total cost comprises the fixed cost plus the variable cost.
- Therefore, the total cost can be written as [tex]\(3.25x + 13.50\)[/tex].
5. Formulate the Inequality:
- The total cost must not exceed the amount on the gift card.
- Thus, we need to express that [tex]\(3.25x + 13.50\)[/tex] should be less than or equal to $40.00.
6. Translate the Description into an Inequality:
- Combining the above information, we get the inequality:
[tex]\[3.25x + 13.50 \leq 40\][/tex]
Based on the steps above, the correct inequality that can be used to solve for how many gifts can be bought is:
[tex]\[ \boxed{3.25x + 13.50 \leq 40} \][/tex]
So, the correct answer is:
A. [tex]\( 3.25x + 13.50 \leq 40 \)[/tex]
