To find the elapsed time from when the twins were supposed to wake up until they arrived at school, we can break it down as follows:
- Time the alarm rang: 8:30 AM
- Time they woke up: 9:00 AM
- Time they arrived at school: 9:56 AM
Now, we calculate the elapsed time:
- From 8:30 AM to 9:00 AM: 30 minutes
- From 9:00 AM to 9:56 AM: 56 minutes
Now, we add those two intervals together:
30 minutes + 56 minutes = 86 minutes
Therefore, the total elapsed time from when the alarm rang until they arrived at school is 86 minutes.