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d. What hoppens to the cost per perion if the number of people doubles: . From 2 to 4 ? - From 5 to 10 ? . From 6 to 12 ? e. What happens to the cost per person if the number of people changes - From 1 to 3? - From 2 to 6? . From 3 to 9 ? fescribe any patterns you may have noticed.

Ask by Lang Vargas. in South Africa
Feb 03,2025

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Answer

When the number of people doubles, the cost per person is halved. For example, going from 2 to 4 people reduces the cost per person by 50%. Similarly, increasing from 5 to 10 or from 6 to 12 people also halves the cost per person. When the number of people increases by a factor of three, the cost per person decreases to one-third. This means that as more people share the total cost, each person pays less.

Solution

To analyze how the **cost per person** changes as the **number of people** increases, we'll assume that the **total cost remains constant**. This means the cost is **evenly distributed** among all individuals involved. Here's a breakdown of each scenario: --- ### **d. What happens to the cost per person if the number of people doubles:** 1. **From 2 to 4 people:** - **Initial Cost per Person:** Total Cost / 2 - **After Doubling:** Total Cost / 4 - **Effect:** **Halved** (The cost per person decreases by 50%) 2. **From 5 to 10 people:** - **Initial Cost per Person:** Total Cost / 5 - **After Doubling:** Total Cost / 10 - **Effect:** **Halved** (The cost per person decreases by 50%) 3. **From 6 to 12 people:** - **Initial Cost per Person:** Total Cost / 6 - **After Doubling:** Total Cost / 12 - **Effect:** **Halved** (The cost per person decreases by 50%) --- ### **e. What happens to the cost per person if the number of people changes:** 1. **From 1 to 3 people:** - **Initial Cost per Person:** Total Cost / 1 = Total Cost - **After Increasing:** Total Cost / 3 - **Effect:** **Reduced to one-third** (The cost per person decreases by approximately 66.7%) 2. **From 2 to 6 people:** - **Initial Cost per Person:** Total Cost / 2 - **After Increasing:** Total Cost / 6 - **Effect:** **Reduced to one-third** (The cost per person decreases by approximately 66.7%) 3. **From 3 to 9 people:** - **Initial Cost per Person:** Total Cost / 3 - **After Increasing:** Total Cost / 9 - **Effect:** **Reduced to one-third** (The cost per person decreases by approximately 66.7%) --- ### **Patterns Observed:** 1. **Inverse Relationship:** There's an **inverse relationship** between the number of people and the cost per person. As the number of people **increases**, the cost per person **decreases**, provided the total cost remains unchanged. 2. **Proportional Decrease:** - **Doubling the Number of People:** Halves the cost per person. - **Tripling the Number of People:** Reduces the cost per person to one-third. 3. **Consistency Across Scenarios:** Whether doubling or tripling the number of people, the cost per person consistently decreases by the same proportional factor respective to the increase in the number of people. --- **Visualization Example:** | Number of People | Total Cost | Cost per Person | |------------------|------------|------------------| | 2 | \$100 | \$50 | | 4 | \$100 | \$25 | | 5 | \$100 | \$20 | | 10 | \$100 | \$10 | | 6 | \$100 | \$16.67 | | 12 | \$100 | \$8.33 | | 1 | \$100 | \$100 | | 3 | \$100 | \$33.33 | | 9 | \$100 | \$11.11 | This table illustrates how increasing the number of people reduces the cost each individual needs to bear. --- **Conclusion:** Increasing the number of people sharing a fixed total cost leads to a proportional decrease in the cost per person. Specifically, **doubling** the number of people **halves** the cost per person, while **tripling** the number of people reduces the cost per person to **one-third**. This inverse relationship ensures that costs become more manageable for each individual as more participants share the expenses.

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The Deep Dive

When the number of people doubles, the cost per person often decreases if the total cost remains the same. For instance, if you organize a party for 2 people versus 4 people without increasing overall expenses, the cost per person halves, leading to a more budget-friendly situation for larger groups! Similarly, this trend holds for different starting numbers, demonstrating the efficiency of sharing resources. A key pattern here is that as the group size increases, the cost per person tends to drop, especially if costs are fixed. This means you get more value for each person added! However, if costs increase with more people (like more food or space rental), then the cost per person could stay constant or even rise. It's a balancing act of costs and numbers!

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