Pre Calc project help

Hello people. New here. Got an issue. Ive been very diligent with my homework in this class so far but the Prof assigned a project that just has me scratching my head. Its a word problem type assignment and Ive never been to good at starting out with these any help would be appreciated. Chapter TWO SULLIVAN PRE CALCULUS EIGHT EDITION. - Functions and their graphs

Each plan requires a 2 year contract

Question 1. Determine the total cost of each plan for the life of the contract, assuming that you stay within the alloted anytime minutes provided by each contract.

Company A:
Plan A1: $39.99
Anytime minutes - 450 with rollover
Charge for each add. minute is $.45
Nights and weekends is 5000 min. from 9pm to 6am

Plan A2: $59.99
Antyime minutes - 900 with rollover
charge for each add. minute is $.40
nights and weekends is unlimited.

Company C
C1: $59.99
Anytime minutes is 550
Charge for each additional minute is from 550 - 1050, $5 for each 50 minutes; Above 1050, $.10 each minute.

I was think that the first plan would be a function like f(x) = 39.99, if x < 450 or something ?

There is more to the project but I just need some help to get started. Thanks

I don´t have that book you mentioned
Company A:
Plan A1: $39.99 (this is the cost of?)
Anytime minutes - 450 with rollover (450 dollars for?) minutes for?
Charge for each add. minute is $.45
Nights and weekends is 5000 min. from 9pm to 6am 5000minimum or 5000 minutes of something?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Henryt999

I don´t have that book you mentioned
Company A:
Plan A1: $39.99 (this is the cost of?)
Anytime minutes - 450 with rollover (450 dollars for?) minutes for?
Charge for each add. minute is $.45
Nights and weekends is 5000 min. from 9pm to 6am 5000minimum or 5000 minutes of something?

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The first part of the problem starts out with this
"This month, as you were paying your bills, you noticed that your cell phone service contract had expired. Since the cell phone numbers are now portable, you decided to investigate different companies. Since you regularly travel outside your local calling area, you decide to look only at plans with no roaming charges. Here are your findings" (It then lists the plans I posted plus a few others and says that "Each plan requires a 2 year contract")

$39.99 is the cost of plan A1 as a straight fee -EDIT - per month fee. "Anytime minutes included" = 450 minutes with rollover. The charge for any additional minute is = $ .45. 5000 minutes are allowed on nights and weekends from 9pm to 6AM. Mobile to mobile minutes are unlimited and national long distance is included.

Thats all the info I have for plan A1. The first question then asks me to determine the total cost of each plan ASSUMING that you stay within the the allotted anytime minutes provided by each contract. There are 6 plans in total but only posted 3 I think just to get an idea of how to formulate each one.

Im assuming the price listed for each plan is the cost for a two year contract because it doesnt state otherwise. Any additional costs come from addition via overtimes minutes I think. Ive emailed my prof about it because I feel its sort of vague but he hasnt got back to me yet. The 5000 number for nights and weekends IS Minutes I believe but it doesnt actually SAY minutes.

Thanks

Aha the total cost. That is easy...
If he wants you just to evaluate cost of each plan assuming you stay within the minutes. All that info on extra minutes bla bla is useless. Assuming you stay within the range you can just.
A = 39.99*24
B = 59.99*24
etc etc...
I think he menth someting more... to evaluate what plan is the best depends on how much you call and when.
Otherwise it is like asking:What car is the best to buy:
A = 1000dollars, gives you 20miles to the gallon, and 18 when driving over 55mph
B = 2000dollars and gives you 28miles to the gallon but 23 when driving over 60mph.
What deal is the best?
It depends on how much and how fast you drive. Well you don´t know how much and when you are gonna call. Evaluating every possible senario is gonna be very tedious for 6 deals with 3 different varables.
How much you call at day?
How much you call at night?
How much you call total?
Ask for more specifik instructions..

Thanks Henry. Im getting better at word problems but I always overthink them. I need to get better at pulling out just the info I need.