Question

3. During this 2020 election the two candidates have mentioned global warming. The climate

change has wreaked havoc on the planet's glaciers. The Matterhorn Glacier is 14 600 and is
melting at a rate of 10 feet per year. The Himalayan Glacier is 18.000 ft tall and is melting at a
rate of 20 feet per year. In how many years will the height of The Matterhom Glacier be the same
as the height of the Himalayan Glacier?

Answer 1

t=340 years

Explanation:

Let's call:

x=Height of The Matterhorn Glacier

y=Height of The Himalayan Glacier

The original value of x is 14,600 ft and it decreases at 10 ft per year, thus the function x is (t in years):

x=14,600-10t

Similarily the initial value of y is 18,000 and it decreases at 20 ft per year, thus the function is (t in years):

y=18,000-20t

Finding the value at which both heights are the same implies that x=y, therefore:

14,600-10t=18,000-20t

Joining variables to the left and numbers to the right:

20t-10t=18,000-14,600

Simplifying:

10t=3,400

t=3,400 / 10

t=340 years