Question

Solve the problem.The amount of water used to take a shower is directly proportional to the amount of time that the shower is in use. A shower lasting 16minutes requires 8 gallons of water. Find the amount of water used in a shower lasting 5 minutes.a 25.6 gallonsb 1.6 gallons10 gallons2.5 gallonsC С

Answer 1

We will find the amount used in a shower lasting 5 minutes as follows:

*First, we write the equation of proportionality:

`w=kt`

Here w is the amount of water, t is the time it takes per shower and k is the constant of proportionality. Using the first set of information we solve for k:

`8=k16\Rightarrow k=(1)/(2)`

Now, that we know the value of k, we determine the amount of water that will be used on a 5 minutes shower:

`w=((1)/(2))(5)\Rightarrow w=2.5`

So, they will use 2.5 gallons of water.