Applications A car has 12,500 miles on its odometer. Say the car is driven an average of 40 miles per day. Choose the model that expresses the number of miles \( N \) that will be on its odometer after \( x \) days. A. \( N(x)=-40 x+12,500 \) B. \( N(x)=40-12,500 \) C. \( N(x)=12,500 x+40 \) D. \( N(x)=40 x+12,500 \)

To express the number of miles \( N \) on the car's odometer after \( x \) days, we need to account for the car's current mileage and the additional miles driven daily. The correct model should start from the initial mileage (12,500 miles) and add the miles driven over \( x \) days. The right formula is \( N(x) = 40x + 12,500 \) (Option D). Here, \( 40x \) represents the miles driven after \( x \) days, and we add it to the current mileage, leading to the total distance traveled over time. Daily calculations like this can lead to fascinating insights for long-term journeys or planned road trips! If you keep track of your mileage, you can estimate fuel costs, maintenance needs, and even the best times for various types of automotive services. Understanding how to calculate future odometer readings is a great life skill! Whether you're buying a car to budget for future trips or planning to sell a vehicle, knowing how to predict mileage can help you make informed decisions and avoid pitfalls like overestimating a car's value based on misleading odometer readings.