Question

A snail is at the bottom of a well that is 10 feet deep. Each day he crawls up 3 feet

and each night he slides back 2 feet. How many days will it take him to reach the top
of the well? (HINT: The answer is NOT 10.)

Answer 1

Answer: 8 days

Explanation:

Depth of well = 10

Each day:

Distance crawled up = 3 feets

Distance crawled down = 2feets

Hence ;

Net distance climbed per day:

(distance climbed up - distance crawled down)

= (3 - 2) = 1

If depth of well = 10 and a net distance of 1 feet is claimed daily,

Then after 7 days, the snail would have climbed up to. (7 × 1 feet) = 7 feets

Then on the 8th day, it will crawl a distance of 3 feets upward, hence, position will be (7 + 3) = 10 feets.

Hence, at this point it would have reached the top of the well , and there would be no avenue to crawl downward at night

Hence it will Take 8 days