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.
Reviewed and approved by the UpStudy tutoring team
Explain
Simplify this solution