Question

A town has accumulated 4 inches of snow, and the snow depth is increasing by 6 inches every hour. A nearby town has accumulated 10 inches, and the depth is increasing by 3 inches every hour. In about how many hours will the snowfall of the towns be equal?

Answer 1

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Answer:

  2 hours

Step-by-step explanation:

The initial difference in depth is 10-4 = 6 inches. The difference in snowfall rates is 6-3 = 3 inches per hour.

At that rate, the difference in depth will be made up in ...

  (6 in)/(3 in/h) = 2 h

In 2 hours the snowfall in the two towns will be equal.

_____

You could write equations for depth, then equate them.

  d1 = 4 +6h

  d2 = 10 +3h

  d1 = d2 . . . . . . . . . . for some value of h the depths will be equal

  4 +6h = 10 +3h

  h(6 -3) = 10 -4 . . . . . subtract 3h+4 from both sides

  h = 6/3 = 2

Snowfall will be equal in 2 hours.