Question

1. before a snowstorm, there were 2.5 inches of snow on the ground. during the storm, snow fell at an average rate of 0.5 inch per hour. at the end of the storm, the depth of snow on the ground was 9 inches. how long did the snowstorm last?

Explanation:

Step1: Find the snowfall during the storm

The initial snow depth was 2.5 inches, and the final depth was 9 inches. So the snow that fell during the storm is $9 - 2.5 = 6.5$ inches.

Step2: Calculate the duration of the storm

The snow fell at a rate of 0.5 inch per hour. Let $t$ be the time (in hours) the storm lasted. We know that rate $\times$ time = amount of snowfall. So $0.5t = 6.5$. Solving for $t$, we divide both sides by 0.5: $t=\frac{6.5}{0.5}=13$.

Answer:

The snowstorm lasted for 13 hours.