Question

b write an equation to represent the cost of any college as it increases by 3.5%. use t to represent this year’s cost and n to represent next year’s cost.

Explanation:

Step1: Understand the percentage increase

A 3.5% increase means the next year's cost is this year's cost plus 3.5% of this year's cost. Mathematically, 3.5% can be written as 0.035 in decimal form. So the increase amount is \( 0.035t \).

Step2: Form the equation for next year's cost

Next year's cost (\( n \)) is this year's cost (\( t \)) plus the increase. So \( n = t + 0.035t \). Combining like terms, we get \( n = 1.035t \).

Answer:

\( n = 1.035t \)