Question

A 15-foot tall cedar tree is growing at a rate of 2 feet per year beneath power lines that are 58 feet above the ground. The power company will have to prune or remove the tree before it reaches the lines. Write and solve an inequality to represent the situation. Use (y) to represent the number of years (round to the nearest tenth).

A. (15 + 2y ≤ 58)
B. (15 + 2y ≥ 58)
C. (15 - 2y ≤ 58)
D. (15 - 2y ≥ 58)

Answer 1

The correct inequality to represent the situation is (15 + 2y ≤ 58)

Step-by-step explanation:

To represent the situation, we need to determine the maximum height the cedar tree can reach before it reaches the power lines. The tree is currently 15 feet tall and growing at a rate of 2 feet per year. The power lines are 58 feet above the ground. Let's use (y) to represent the number of years.

The maximum height the tree can reach is determined by the inequality 15 + 2y ≤ 58. This is because the height of the tree after y years is 15 + 2y, and it must be less than or equal to the height of the power lines.

Therefore, the correct inequality is A. (15 + 2y ≤ 58).