To determine which step Bryan used to help him decide on the rates offered by the two companies, we need to follow the steps of problem-solving, commonly used in mathematical contexts:
Step 1: Understand the Problem
- Bryan wants to ship three medium-sized boxes.
- He has two shipping companies to choose from:
- Company A charges [tex]$14.65 per box.
- Company B offers a free first box and charges $[/tex]16.20 for each additional box.
Step 2: Devise a Plan
- Determine the total cost for both companies based on the given rates:
- For Company A: Multiply the rate per box by the number of boxes.
- For Company B: Add the cost of additional boxes (since the first box is free).
Step 3: Carry Out the Plan
- For Company A:
[tex]\[ \text{Cost}_A = 14.65 \times 3 \][/tex]
- For Company B:
[tex]\[ \text{Cost}_B = 16.20 \times (3 - 1) \][/tex]
Step 4: Solve the Problem
- Perform the calculations:
- For Company A:
[tex]\[ \text{Cost}_A = 14.65 \times 3 = 43.95 \][/tex]
- For Company B:
[tex]\[ \text{Cost}_B = 16.20 \times 2 = 32.40 \][/tex]
Step 5: Check the Solution
- Verify if the calculations are correct.
Step 6: Interpret the Solution
- Compare the calculated costs to determine which company offers the cheaper rate.
In this case, the decisive action where Bryan would use multiplication and addition to compare the total costs for both companies has to be found in one of the steps. This is explicitly the calculation part, which falls under:
Step 4: Solve the Problem
Thus, Bryan used Step 4 to help him decide which shipping company offered the better rate.
