Question

At 4 PM the total snowfall is 5 cm is 7 PM the total snowfall is 12 cm what is the mean hourly snowfall write your answer in simplest form as a fraction or mixed number

Answer 1

To calculate the mean hourly snowfall, subtract the initial measurement at 4 PM (5 cm) from the final measurement at 7 PM (12 cm) to get a total snowfall increase of 7 cm. Then divide that by the number of hours (3), resulting in a mean hourly snowfall of 7/3 cm per hour or approximately 2½ cm per hour.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question asks us to find the mean hourly snowfall between 4 PM and 7 PM, given that the total snowfall was 5 cm at 4 PM and increased to 12 cm by 7 PM. To find the mean hourly snowfall, we need to follow these steps:

1. Calculate the total snowfall increase by subtracting the initial measurement at 4 PM from the final measurement at 7 PM.
2. Divide that increase by the number of hours between the two measurements to find the mean hourly snowfall.

Now let's apply these steps:

1. Total snowfall increase = Final measurement - Initial measurement = 12 cm - 5 cm = 7 cm.
2. There are 3 hours between 4 PM and 7 PM, so the mean hourly snowfall = Total snowfall increase / Number of hours = 7 cm / 3 hours = 7/3 cm per hour.

The mean hourly snowfall is 7/3 cm per hour or approximately 2½ cm per hour. This is the simplest form as a fraction or a mixed number.