PSAT Math · Question of the Day

PSAT Math Question of the Day

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Friday, November 6, 2026

A phone plan charges $25 each month plus $0.10 per text message. Let $y$ be the monthly cost (in dollars) for sending $x$ texts. What is the cost for 180 texts?

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Question of the Day

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A phone plan charges $25 each month plus $0.10 per text message. Let $y$ be the monthly cost (in dollars) for sending $x$ texts. What is the cost for 180 texts?

$43 (correct answer)
$25.18
$205
$18

Explanation: This problem involves a linear cost function where we need to calculate the total cost for a specific number of texts. The phone plan has a fixed monthly charge of $25 plus $0.10 per text, so the equation is y = 25 + 0.10x. For x = 180 texts: y = 25 + 0.10(180) = 25 + 18 = 43. Therefore, the cost is $43. The key is identifying the fixed cost ($ 25) and the variable rate ($0.10 per text), then substituting the given value. Double-check your decimal multiplication: 0.10 × 180 = 18.