In a certain country, a letter up to 1 ounce requires postage in the amount of 0 point 4 2 dollars , and each additional ounce (or fraction of an ounce) has an additional cost. The function represents the cost of mailing one letter with a weight of x ounces in this country. f of x is equal to 0 point 4 2 plus 0 point 2 0 lceil x minus 1 rceil Josiah has two letters. The first weighs 2 point 9 ounces, and the second weighs 4 point 1 ounces. What is the total amount Josiah can expect to pay for postage?
Use the ceiling function to count each additional ounce or fraction of an ounce. For the 2.9-ounce letter, f(2.9) = $0.42 + $0.20⌈1.9⌉ = $0.82. For the 4.1-ounce letter, f(4.1) = $0.42 + $0.20⌈3.1⌉ = $1.22. The total is $0.82 + $1.22 = $2.04, so the correct choice is A, 2.04 dollars.
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