At first glance, this looks like a very simple question:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How tall is the cat?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But don\u2019t rush.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most people answer too quickly and get it completely wrong. Take a moment and look carefully at the image before trying to solve it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the left side, you see a cat sitting on the ground next to a tree. The total height from the top of the tree down to the top of the cat is 280 cm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the right side, the same cat is now sitting on top of the tree. This time, the total height from the ground to the top of the cat is 360 cm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This may look straightforward, but the trick is understanding how the measurements are formed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s break it down step by step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let:
T = height of the tree
C = height of the cat<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From the first situation:
The difference between the tree and the cat is 280 cm
So:
T \u2212 C = 280<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From the second situation:
The tree and the cat together measure 360 cm
So:
T + C = 360<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now we solve the system:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
T \u2212 C = 280
T + C = 360<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Add both equations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2T = 640
T = 320<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now substitute back:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
320 + C = 360
C = 40<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Final Answer:<\/strong>
The cat is 40 cm tall.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"