Final answer:
John must have used approximately 18 minutes over 700 during the month.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find out how many minutes John must have used during the month, we need to subtract the basic monthly plan of $40 from the total amount charged, which is $48.10. This will give us the additional cost for the minutes used over 700.
Additional cost = Total amount charged - Basic monthly plan
Additional cost = $48.10 - $40
Additional cost = $8.10
Next, we divide the additional cost by the cost per minute over 700, which is $0.45.
Minutes used over 700 = Additional cost / Cost per minute over 700
Minutes used over 700 = $8.10 / $0.45
Minutes used over 700 ≈ 18
Therefore, John must have used approximately 18 minutes over 700 during the month.