Suppose a pilot balloon rises at a rate of 100 metres per minute and disappears into a deck of stratus clouds 1500 metres thick in 5 minutes. Which of the following gives the ceiling of the cloud layer?
A)1500 m
B)100 m
C)500 m
D)300 m

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The balloon rises 100 meters per minute, so in 5 minutes, it rises 500 meters. Since the cloud layer is 1500 meters thick, the ceiling of the cloud layer is 1500 - 500 = 1000 meters. However, the question asks for the ceiling of the cloud layer, which is the height at which the balloon first enters the cloud, so the correct answer is 500 meters.

Suppose a Pilot Balloon Rises at a Rate of 100