Question

A 21-inch candle burns down in 10 hours.

If b represents how much of the candle, in
inches, has burned away at any time given
in hours, t, write a proportional equation
for b in terms of t that matches the context.

Answer 1

To express the amount of candle burned over time as an equation, we use the burn rate of 2.1 inches per hour, resulting in the formula b = 2.1 × t.

To write a proportional equation for b in terms of t, we start by understanding that the candle burns at a constant rate. Given that a 21-inch candle burns down completely in 10 hours, we can say the rate of burning is 21 inches/10 hours, which simplifies to 2.1 inches per hour. Thus, the amount of candle burned, b, after t hours can be represented by the equation:

b = 2.1 × t

This equation shows that b (in inches) is directly proportional to t (in hours).