Imagine that you are planning to buy a new cell phone. After doing some research, you have determined that there are two different cell phones that will meet your needs. These cell phones have different purchase prices and each mobile service provider charges a different rate for each minute that the cell phone is used. In order to determine which cell phone is the better buy, you need to develop an algorithm to calculate the total cost of purchasing and using each cell phone. Which of the following options lists all the inputs needed for this algorithm?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of what inputs are needed to compute total cost for each phone, considering both purchase price and usage costs.
Option 1: The cost of each cell phone, the rate per minute for each cell phone, and the number of minutes provided with each cell phone. This option mentions purchase price and rate per minute, but it uses 'number of minutes provided with each cell phone,' which is typically a bonus or allotment rather than the actual usage minutes. For calculating total cost based on usage, you need to know how many minutes you will actually use, not how many are provided for free or included.
Option 2: The cost of each cell phone and the number of minutes provided with each cell phone. This omits the rate charged per minute, which is essential to compute the variable cost of usage. Without the rate per minute, you cannot convert minutes into a dollar amount, so this input set is incomplete for total cost.
Option 3: The cost of each cell phone and the rate per minute for each cell phone. This includes purchase price and usage rate, but it misses the crucial information about how many minutes you expect to use. Without the expected usage minutes, you cannot multiply by the rate to obtain the total usage cost.
Option 4: The cost of each cell phone, the rate per minute for each cell phone, and the number of minutes you would use the cell phone. This combines all three necessary inputs: purchase price (cost of each phone), usage rate (rate per minute), and expected usage (number of minutes you would use). This combination fully supports calculating the total cost for comparison.
In summary, to accurately determine total cost for each option, you must know (1) how much the device costs upfront, (2) how much each minute costs, and (3) how many minutes you expect to use. Options 1–3 each miss at least one of these essential pieces, whereas Option 4 includes all three, making it the complete and correct choice.

Fal25_CS003C_74229 Ch. 1 Pre-Quiz (Remotely Proctored)

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