"The company pays $55 a day for food and lodging and $0.45 for each mile traveled" means that if she travels m miles and is on a trip for x days then Rita will receive:
55x + 0.45m dollars.
Rita drove 300 miles, means that m=300. Thus 55x + 0.45m becomes
[tex]55x+0.45m=55x+0.45 \cdot 300=55x+135[/tex] (dollars.)
She was reimbursed $2,335 means that [tex]55x+135=2,335[/tex].
Part A: [tex]55x+135=2,335[/tex].
Part B:
We are given the equation 55x+135=2,335. Subtracting 135 from both sides we have:
55x=2,335-135=2,200.
Dividing both sides by 55, we get: x=2,200/55=40.
Part C: since x represents the number of days Rita spend on this trip, and x=40, then Rita spent 40 days on this trip.