Question 1180346
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Ignore the absurd answer from the other tutor.  She blindly used formal mathematics incorrectly to get the wrong answer to a problem that a 3rd grader could answer correctly in a few seconds using informal methods.<br>
3rd grader solution method....
now: tree A 8, tree B 10
in 1 year: tree A 8+2=10, tree B 10+1=11
in 2 years: tree A 10+2=12, tree B 11+1=12
ANSWER: 2 years<br>
Formal algebra....
tree A height after n years: 8+2n
tree B height after n years: 10+1n
8+2n=10+n
n=2<br>
8th-9th grader informal method....
Tree A starts out 2 feet shorter than tree B but each year grows 1 foot more than tree B; the time needed to make up those 2 feet at 1 foot per year is 2 years.<br>