Question

A 10 foot rope ladder hangs over the side of a boat with the bottom rung on the surface of the water. The rungs are one foot apart, and the tide goes up at the rate of 6 inches per hour. How long will it be until three rungs are covered?

Answer 1

6 hours, it takes 2 hours to cover 12 inches and each rung is 12 inches apart/ a foot apart.

Answer 2

The answer is Never. As the boat rises with the tide, the bottom rung of the ladder also rises with the boat.