Challenge

A gold mine has two elevators, one for equipment and another for the miners. The equipment elevator descends 4 feet per second. The elevator for the miners descends 14 feet per second. One day, the equipment elevator begins to descend. After 23 seconds, the elevator for the miners begins to descend. What is the position of each elevator relative to the surface after another 15 seconds? At that time, which elevator is deeper?

a). Distance from the surface of miner elevator=532 feet, Distance from the surface of equipment elevator=60 feet

b). The miner elevator is deeper since it is 472 feet deeper than the equipment elevator

Step-by-step explanation:

Equipment elevator speed=4 feet per second

Miner elevator=14 feet per second

Total time of miner elevator = (23+15) = 38 seconds

Total time of equipment elevator=15 seconds

a). Distance from the surface of each elevator

Distance from the surface of miner elevator=Miner Speed*Miner Time

Distance = (14*38) = 532 feet

Distance from the surface of equipment elevator=Equipment Speed*Equipment Time

Distance = (15*4) = 60 feet

b). Which elevator is deeper

Distance from the surface of miner elevator=532 feet

Distance from the surface of equipment elevator = 60 feet

Difference = (532-60) = 472 feet

The miner elevator is deeper since it is 472 feet deeper than the equipment elevator