Babysitting Awake/Asleep

Holly used to get $2.00 per hour babysitting one child if it was awake and $1.50 per hour if it was asleep. Each additional child was another dollar per hour, awake or asleep. If she took care of n children for x hours before bedtime and y hours after bedtime, how much money did she earn? (The answer is a formula.)


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Holly earned 2x + 1.5y for the first child and x + y for each of the remaining n – 1 children, so altogether she made:

2x + 1.5y + (n – 1)(x + y) =

(n + 1)x + (n + .5)y =

n(x + y) + x + .5y

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