The monthly cost of operation at a company, C, given in dollars as a function of the number of units produced per month, u, is given below. C = $3,173 + $31u If the company wants to keep the cost of operation under $18,000 per month, what is the maximum number of units they can produce?

Answer

479 units

Q: What is the given formula for monthly cost of operation? A: C = $3,173 + $31u.
Q: What is the maximum number of units that can be produced if the cost of operation is under $18,000 per month? A: To find the maximum number of units, we need to set up and solve an inequality. $3,173 + $31u < $18,000.
Q: How do we solve the inequality? A: We can solve for u by isolating it on one side. Substract $3,173 from both sides of the inequality: $31u < $14,827.
Q: What is the next step in solving the inequality? A: Divide both sides by $31: u < 479.