Answer: it will take 9 hours.
Step-by-step explanation:
The rate at which the height of each snowman decreased is linear. This means that it was decreasing in arithmetic progression. The formula for determining the nth term of an arithmetic progression is expressed as
Tn = a + (n - 1)d
Where
a represents the first term of the sequence.
d represents the common difference
n represents the number of terms(hours)
Considering snowman A,
Tn = A(t)
n = t
a = 60 inches
d = - 5 inches(since it is decreasing)
Therefore,
A(t) = 60 + (t - 1)-5
A(t) = 60 - 5t + 5
A(t) = 65 - 5t
Considering snowman B,
Tn = B(t)
n = t
a = 44 inches
d = - 3 inches(since it is decreasing)
Therefore,
B(t) = 44 + (t - 1)-3
B(t) = 44 - 3t + 3
B(t) = 47 - 3t
For both snowmen to have an equal height, it means that
65 - 5t = 47 - 3t
- 5t + 3t = 47 - 65
- 2t = - 18
t = - 18/- 2
t = 9 hours