Question

Henry wanted to know how fast his pet tortoise could walk.

First, he placed a nice leaf of lettuce at one end of his patio. Then, he placed his tortoise 5 meters away from the lettuce and recorded its position and time as it moved toward the lettuce.

The chart below shows Henry's observations.

Tortoise Distance and Time Results

Tortoise's Distance from Starting Point
(in meters)

Elapsed Time
(in seconds)

0 (at starting point) 0
1 12
2 24
3 36
4 48
5 (at lettuce) 60


What does Henry's data show about how fast the tortoise walked?
A.
The tortoise traveled 5 meters in 60 seconds.
B.
The tortoise traveled 3 meters in 60 seconds.
C.
The tortoise traveled 4 meters in 60 seconds.
D.
The tortoise traveled 2 meters in 60 seconds

Answer 1

To determine the speed of the tortoise based on Henry's observations, we can analyze the data provided.

The tortoise traveled from 0 meters to 5 meters, taking 60 seconds to do so.

To calculate the speed, we use the formula:

\[
\text{Speed} = \frac{\text{Distance}}{\text{Time}}
\]

Here, the total distance traveled is 5 meters, and the total time taken is 60 seconds.

\[
\text{Speed} = \frac{5 \text{ meters}}{60 \text{ seconds}} = \frac{1}{12} \text{ meters per second}
\]

Now, we can evaluate the provided answer choices:

- A. The tortoise traveled 5 meters in 60 seconds. (True, this statement is accurate.)
- B. The tortoise traveled 3 meters in 60 seconds. (False.)
- C. The tortoise traveled 4 meters in 60 seconds. (False.)
- D. The tortoise traveled 2 meters in 60 seconds. (False.)

Therefore, the correct answer is:

**A. The tortoise traveled 5 meters in 60 seconds.**