To find out how long it will take for the creek to rise to 12 inches above its flood stage, we first need to determine how much higher it needs to rise from its current level.
Current water level above flood stage: 4.75 inches
Desired water level above flood stage: 12 inches
Difference in water levels: \[ 12 \text{ inches} - 4.75 \text{ inches} = 7.25 \text{ inches} \]
The creek is rising at a rate of 2.5 inches per hour. To find out how long it will take to rise 7.25 inches, we can use the formula:
\[ \text{Time} = \frac{\text{Amount to rise}}{\text{Rate of rise}} \]
Substituting the known values: \[ \text{Time} = \frac{7.25 \text{ inches}}{2.5 \text{ inches per hour}} = 2.9 \text{ hours} \]
So, it will take 2.9 hours for the creek to reach 12 inches above its flood stage.
The correct response is 2.9 hours.