A rope boarding ladder hangs over the side of a docked ship, with rungs spaced 1 foot apart. Currently, 4 rungs are submerged beneath the surface of the calm sea. The tide rises at a steady pace of 6 inches per hour. After 6 hours, how many ladder rungs will be submerged?
4 rungs
The ship and its ladder float upon the water. As the tide rises, the vessel and the attached ladder rise with it, keeping the water level at the same relative rung.
About this riddle
Math riddles hide a calculation inside a short story. Pull out the numbers, work out what is being asked, and watch for a trick such as a unit change.
Difficulty: Medium. More like this: Math riddles with answers or try Target 24 for a different kind of puzzle.
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