If you take 5 mins to go down 10 steps how long did you spend on each step?

Question

it took you 5 mins to go down 10 steps? would it take you 30 seconds on each step? i need help

Answer 1

this question is be tricky depending on how to look at it.

 

Jon's concept is correct when you assume the time start after leaving the first steps and will end after leaving the 10th steps. it means you have to take another 30 sec to leave the 10th steps. 

 

     |__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__

 

the vertical line represents the steps (10)
the horizontal line represents the time between steps (10)

 

5 min = 300 sec

 

300/10 = 30 sec between two steps

 

 

here is another possibility.

 

it's possible that the time start after leaving the first step and will end when you step on the 10th step. if that's the case then the time between two steps is different.

 

 Here is the line graph that can show you what I meant

 

      |__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|
 

the vertical line represents the steps (10)

the horizontal line represents the time between steps (9)

 

I assumed the time starts after you leave the first step and end when you reach to the 10th step. (i.e. time will stop once you step on the last step)

 

that means the only 9 (horizontal lines) occurred.

 

for 5 min = 300 sec

 

300/9 = 33.33333 sec between two steps

 

Answer 2

You seem to have to come a reasonable answer.  You can check to see if you are correct.

 

If you take 30 seconds on each step and there are 10 steps, how long would you take all together?  30 * 10 = 300, so it would take 300 seconds.

 

How much is 300 seconds?  There are 60 seconds in a minute, so divide 300 by 60 to find out how many minutes that it.  The answer is 5, which is exactly what you were told.  So your answer is correct.