Show your work.
Solution to the Problem:
The table is 150 cm tall.
Let x = height of the table
Let c = height of the cat (Midnight)
Let t = height of the turtle (Myrtle)
Then write two equations involving the three variables.
c + x - t = 170
t + x - c = 130
When you add the two equations together, the variables c and t drop out and you can solve for x, the height of the table.
2x = 300
x = 150 cm.
K. Sengupta returns after almost 14 years and sent in this solution which shows that Midnight is 20 cm taller than Myrtle:
Let the respective heights of the cat, turtle and the table in cm be denoted by C, R, and T
Then, in terms of the two diagrams given, we must have :
T+C-R = 170 .......(i)
T-R+C =130...........(ii)
Adding (i) and (ii), we have:
2*T = 300, giving: T=150
Consequently, the table is 150 cm tall.
[Addenda:
Subtracting, (ii) from (i), we have:
2(C-R) = 40, so that C-R = 20
Ergo, Midnight (cat) is 20 cm taller than Myrtle(turtle)]
Correctly solved by:
| 1. Dr. Hari Kishan |
D.N. College, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| 2. Veena Mg | Bangalore, Karnataka, India |
| 3. Davit Banana | Istanbul, Turkey |
| 4. Colin (Yowie) Bowey | Beechworth, Victoria, Australia |
| 5. K. Sengupta | Calcutta, India |
| 6. Ritwik Chaudhuri | Santiniketan, West Bengal, India |
| 7. Ivy Joseph | Pune, Maharashtra, India |
| 8. Carolina Romero |
Central High School, Grand Junction, Colorado |
| 9. Kelly Stubblefield | Mobile, Alabama |