Final answer:
The student's question about production time can be solved using ratios. By dividing the given hours by the number of motorcycles produced, we find the per motorcycle production time and then multiply by the desired number of motorcycles. The correct answer is 30 hours.
Step-by-step explanation:
To solve the student's problem, we need to use the concept of ratios and proportional relationships which is a common topic in middle school mathematics. The question presents a direct variation situation where the number of motorcycles produced is proportional to the number of hours worked.
First, we calculate the rate at which motorcycles are produced. If a factory produces 8 motorcycles in 20 hours, we can find out how many hours it takes to produce one motorcycle by dividing the number of hours by the number of motorcycles: 20 hours / 8 motorcycles = 2.5 hours per motorcycle. To find the number of hours required to produce 12 motorcycles at the same rate, we multiply the rate (hours per motorcycle) by the number of motorcycles: 2.5 hours/motorcycle × 12 motorcycles = 30 hours.
Therefore, the correct answer is A) 30 hours.