Question

last month, margo bought a tree that grows 2.5 cm each day. it was 5 cm tall when she bought it and now it is 65 cm tall.
write an equation to determine the number of days (d) margo has owned the plant.

find the number of days margo has owned the plant.

days

Explanation:

Part 1: Writing the Equation

Step1: Identify initial height and growth rate

The initial height of the tree is \( 5 \) cm, and it grows at a rate of \( 2.5 \) cm per day. After \( d \) days, the total height is the initial height plus the growth over \( d \) days.
The growth over \( d \) days is \( 2.5d \) (since rate is \( 2.5 \) cm/day and time is \( d \) days). The final height is \( 65 \) cm. So the equation is:
\( 5 + 2.5d = 65 \)

Part 2: Solving for \( d \)

Step1: Subtract initial height from both sides

Subtract \( 5 \) from both sides of the equation \( 5 + 2.5d = 65 \) to isolate the term with \( d \).
\( 2.5d = 65 - 5 \)
\( 2.5d = 60 \)

Step2: Divide by growth rate

Divide both sides by \( 2.5 \) to solve for \( d \).
\( d = \frac{60}{2.5} \)
\( d = 24 \)

Answer:

Equation: \( 5 + 2.5d = 65 \)
Number of days: \( 24 \)