A shipping company charges 5 for packages weighing 2 pounds or less, and 5 plus $1.50 per pound over 2 pounds for heavier packages. What…

The package weighs $5$ pounds, which is more than $2$ pounds, so use the second rule: $5 plus $1.50 for each pound over $2$. The excess is $5-2=3$ pounds, so the cost is $5+1.50(3)=5+4.50=9.50$ dollars, choice D. Choice B ($12.50) applies the $1.50 rate to all $5$ pounds, $5+1.50(5)$, instead of just the excess. Choice A ($7.50) is $1.50\cdot5$ with no base fee. Choice C ($11.00) comes from charging for $4$ extra pounds. Piecewise cost rules charge the per-pound rate only on the part above the threshold.