Sure, let's solve for Muriel's restaurant bill step-by-step using the given data from her spreadsheet.
1. Identify all transactions and their amounts:
- Beginning balance: \$380.29 (this is her initial amount of money)
- Interest income: \$18.10
- Groceries: -\$61.39
- Paycheck: \$476.24
- Gas: -\$35.00
- Ending balance: \$735.69 (this is her final amount of money after all transactions)
2. Calculate the total amount after all known transactions excluding the restaurant bill:
We start with her beginning balance and then add/subtract each known transaction:
[tex]\[
\text{Known transactions total} = 380.29 + 18.10 - 61.39 + 476.24 - 35.00
\][/tex]
3. Substitute the values and perform the arithmetic operations:
[tex]\[
\text{Known transactions total} = 380.29 + 18.10 - 61.39 + 476.24 - 35.00 = 778.24
\][/tex]
4. Determine the restaurant bill by comparing the known transactions total to her ending balance:
[tex]\[
\text{Restaurant bill} = \text{Ending balance} - \text{Known transactions total}
\][/tex]
[tex]\[
\text{Restaurant bill} = 735.69 - 778.24
\][/tex]
[tex]\[
\text{Restaurant bill} = -42.55
\][/tex]
Thus, Muriel's restaurant bill was \-\$42.55. The negative sign indicates that this amount was an expense.
The correct answer is:
b. [tex]\(\$ -42.55\)[/tex]
