Kristen Is Planning to Add New Mulch to All the Landscaping

question 73

Essay

Kristen is planning to add new mulch to all the landscaping beds around her house. She has determined the quantity of mulch she will need and identified these two options for getting the mulch to her house:
1. Kristen can have all the mulch delivered to her yard in one dump truck for $450.
2. Kristen can make four trips to the garden center with her pickup truck and haul it herself. It will cost her $75 per load for the mulch, plus $25 in fuel and truck wear per load. She estimates it will take about five hours to haul and unload all four loads.
What is the full cost of each method? Which method is cheaper? How is opportunity cost relevant?

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Definitions:

Ester

Organic compounds derived from an acid where at least one –OH (hydroxyl) group is replaced by an –O– (alkoxy) group.

Aldol Reaction

A type of organic reaction where an enol or an enolate ion reacts with a carbonyl compound to form a beta-hydroxyaldehyde or beta-hydroxyketone, followed by dehydration to give a conjugated enone.

Crossed Aldol Condensation

A chemical reaction involving two different carbonyl compounds to form a β-hydroxyketone or an α,β-unsaturated ketone under basic or acidic conditions.

Cinnamaldehyde

A yellow oily compound that gives cinnamon its flavor and odor, known chemically as a phenylpropanoid.