A whale swims 200 miles in 5 days. Identify which equation could NOT be used to find how many miles it swims in 16 days. Show how to solve the problem first.

Question

Answer choices: A: y = 40x 16
B: y = (200/5) x 16
C: y = 40+ 16
Describe as a 7th grader short enough to fit in a small text box.

Answer 1

To find out how many miles the whale swims in 16 days, we first calculate how many miles it swims in one day.

The whale swims 200 miles in 5 days, so:

1. Find miles per day: 200 miles ÷ 5 days = 40 miles per day.

2. Find total for 16 days: 40 miles/day × 16 days = 640 miles.

Now, let's look at the equations:

A: y = 40 × 16 (This works because it uses the daily distance). B: y = (200/5) × 16 (This works too because it calculates miles per day first). C: y = 40 + 16 (This does NOT work because it adds instead of multiplying).

So, the equation that could NOT be used is C: y = 40 + 16.