Jessica is planning a trip to South Africa. The following table shows some of her planned expenses for this trip, and whether these expenses are in US dollars ($) or South African rands (R).
| Item | Cost | Currency |
| ---------------- | -------- | -------- |
| Guide book | 216.41 | R |
| Walking shoes | 702.33 | R |
| Passport | 71.75 | $ |
| Car rental | 996.78 | R |
| Plane ticket | 3,741.85 | R |
| Hotel reservation | 138.10 | $ |
If the exchange rate of US dollars to South African rands is 17.4094, what is the current total of Jessica's budget, in US dollars? Round all currencies to two decimal places.
A. $763.54
B. $791.86
C. $973.39
D. $1,001.71
Answer (2)
To calculate Jessica's total budget for her trip, we sum her expenses in South African rands and convert them to US dollars using the exchange rate. The total in rands is 5657.37 R, which converts to approximately 324.91 USD. Adding the US dollar expenses gives a final budget of approximately 534.76 USD, although this value does not align directly with the provided multiple-choice options.
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Calculate the total expenses in South African Rands: R t o t a l = 216.41 + 702.33 + 996.78 + 3741.85 = 5657.37 .
Convert the total expenses in South African Rands to US dollars: $ R = 17.4094 5657.37 ≈ 324.96 .
Calculate the total expenses in US dollars: $ t o t a l = 71.75 + 138.10 = 209.85 .
Calculate the final total expenses in US dollars: $ f ina l = 324.96 + 209.85 = 534.81 . The final answer is $534.81 .
Explanation
Problem Overview We are given Jessica's planned expenses in both US dollars (\) and South African Rands (R). We need to convert all expenses to US dollars using the given exchange rate and then find the total budget in US dollars.
Total Expenses in Rands First, let's calculate the total expenses in South African Rands: R t o t a l = 216.41 + 702.33 + 996.78 + 3741.85 = 5657.37 So, the total expenses in Rands is R 5657.37.
Converting Rands to Dollars Next, we convert the total expenses in South African Rands to US dollars using the exchange rate of 1 US dollar = 17.4094 South African Rands: R = 17.4094 5657.37 = 324.96065344009554 Rounding to two decimal places, the expenses in Rands converted to US dollars is $324.96.
Total Expenses in Dollars Now, let's calculate the total expenses that were already in US dollars: t o t a l = 71.75 + 138.10 = 209.85 So, the total expenses initially in US dollars is $209.85.
Final Total in Dollars Finally, we calculate the final total expenses in US dollars by adding the converted Rands to US dollars and the initial US dollar expenses: f ina l = 324.96 + 209.85 = 534.81 Therefore, the current total of Jessica's budget, in US dollars, is $534.81.
Corrected Final Total However, I made a mistake in the previous calculation. I should have added the rounded value. Let's redo the final calculation with the correct values: R = 17.4094 5657.37 ≈ 324.96 t o t a l = 71.75 + 138.10 = 209.85 f ina l = 324.96 + 209.85 = 534.81 So, the correct total of Jessica's budget, in US dollars, is $534.81.
Examples
When planning an international trip, it's essential to convert all your expenses into a single currency to manage your budget effectively. This problem demonstrates how to convert different currencies using an exchange rate and calculate the total cost in your home currency. For example, if you're traveling from the US to Europe, you'll need to convert expenses like hotel bookings, train tickets, and meals from Euros to US dollars to understand your overall spending. This ensures you have an accurate view of your financial commitments and can budget accordingly, preventing unexpected financial strain during your travels. Knowing how to perform these conversions is a practical skill that aids in financial planning and decision-making.
