Problem 6 · Count the gaps, not the posts · 4 points
Made by AI and not reviewed by a real person.
Five posts stand in a straight row. The distance between one post and the next is 3 m. How far is it from the first post to the last post?
- 12 m
- 9 m
- 18 m
- 10 m
- 15 m
Show a hint
- Sketch the row of posts and label the distances given in the question. How could your sketch help you find the distance from end to end?
- Starting at the first post, add 3 m each time you move to the next post. Stop when you reach the last post.
Show the answer and solution
Answer: A — 12 m
From the first post to the last, you cross 4 gaps. Each gap is 3 m, so the distance is 4 × 3 = 12 m. The incorrect 15 m comes from counting one 3 m distance for each of the 5 posts, rather than for each gap between posts.