Question

Pilots can make quick calculations by solving one-step equations. For instance: the distance in miles from the airport that a plane should begin descending, divided by 3, equals the plane's height above the ground in thousands of feet. If an aircraft is 10,000 feet above the ground, write and solve an equation to find the distance the pilot should begin descending.

Answer 1

Let d be the distance in miles from the airport that a plane should begin descending. According to the problem statement, we can write the equation:

d/3 = 10

To solve for d, we can isolate it by multiplying both sides of the equation by 3:

d = 3 * 10

Therefore, the pilot should begin descending when the plane is 30 miles from the airport.