Question

A mine extracts 2 metric tons of coal in an hour. The mine uses 14 ton of the extracted coal every hour to generate electricity for the mine and sells the rest. If t is the number of hours spent mining, which expression represents the amount of ore sold? How much ore can the mine sell after extracting ore for 12 hours?

Answer 1

This sounds like a very poor business model right from the beginning. 
The mine continuously operates at a loss, and it has nothing to sell.

If it uses 14 tons an hour just to keep running, and it produces 2 tons
an hour, then it doesn't take a business genius to point out that this
operation is rapidly digging itself straight into the ground.

I'm guessing that there was a major mistake made during the copying
of the problem.

Answer 2

Answer:

23.455476 tons ore can the mine sell after extracting ore for 12 hours

Step-by-step explanation:

Given :

A mine extracts 2 metric tons of coal in an hour.

The mine uses 1/4 ton of the extracted coal every hour to generate electricity for the mine and sells the rest.

Solution :

Let t is the number of hours spent mining,

Since they extract in 1 hour = 2 metric coal

so, they extract in t hours = 2 t

Since they uses mine for electricity in 1 hour = 1/4

They uses mine for electricity in t hour = $\frac{1}{4} t$

So, the mine remain for selling = $2t-\frac{1}{4} t$

1 metric ton = 1.102311 tons

2 metric ton = 1.102311*2= 2.204623 tons

So,the mine remain for selling =  $2.204623t-\frac{1}{4} t$

To calculate ore can the mine sell after extracting ore for 12 hours =

⇒ $2.204623*(12)-\frac{1}{4} *(12)$

⇒23.455476

Hence 23.455476 tons ore can the mine sell after extracting ore for 12 hours