Question

The height, h, of a cylinder is five units less than three times its radius, r. Which expression represents the height of the cylinder in terms of its radius

Answer 1

h = 3r - 5

Explanation:

We know the height (h) of the cylinder is roughly three (3) times it's radius (r), but not exactly... it's 5 units less.

So, we start by stating that the height is 3 times its radius:

h = 3r

Then we apply the correction mentioned in the question:

h = 3r - 5

It's not important for us to know what the units are... they could be cm, inches, meters or miles. We don't care.