At a distance 5 miles west of town, oil-bearing deposits are found 3185 feet deep.Also, 8 miles west of town, the oil is found 3356 feet down.Assuming the oil-bearing stratum lies on a straight line, how far west of town would you expect to drill 3606 feet deep in order to find oil?

Question

At a distance 5 miles west of town, oil-bearing deposits are found 3185 feet deep.Also, 8 miles west of town, the oil is found 3356 feet down.Assuming the oil-bearing stratum lies on a straight line, how far west of town would you expect to drill 3606 feet deep in order to find oil? ​

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The depth of the oil-bearing stratum increases linearly with distance. The slope of the line is (3356 - 3185) / (8 - 5) = 57 feet per mile. Using the point-slope form of the line equation, we find the distance where the depth is 3606 feet: 3606 = 3185 + 57(x - 5). Solving for x gives approximately 12.39 miles.

At a Distance 5 Miles West of Town, Oil-Bearing Deposits