Maxim has been offered positions by two car companies. The first company pays a salary of $8000 plus a commission of $900 for each car sold. The second pays a salary of $14400 plus a commission of $500 for each car sold. How many cars would need to be sold to make the total pay the same?

We have been that 1st company pays a salary of $8000 plus a commission of $900 for each car sold. We can represent this information in an expression as:

[tex]900x+8000[/tex]

We are also told that second company pays a salary of $14400 plus a commission of $500 for each car sold. We can represent this information in an expression as:

[tex]500x+14,400[/tex]

To find the number of cars sold, which will make the total pay the same, we will equate both expressions and solve for x as:

[tex]900x+8000=500x+14,400[/tex]

[tex]900x-500x+8000=500x-500x+14,400[/tex]

[tex]400x+8000-8000=14,400-8000[/tex]

[tex]400x=6,400[/tex]

[tex]\frac{400x}{400}=\frac{6,400}{400}[/tex]

[tex]x=16[/tex]

Therefore, 16 cars would need to be sold to make the total pay the same.