A gardener is planting two types of trees: type A is 5 feet tall and grows at a rate of 18 inches per year. Type B is 8 feet tall and grows at a rate of 14 inches per year. Algebraically determine exactly how many years it will take for these trees to be the same height.

Answer: 9 years

Step-by-step explanation:

The first thing that you need to do is convert 5 feet and 8 feet into inches.

5 x 12 = 60

8 x 12 = 96

The equation to solve this problem when the number of years equals x is:

60 + 18x = 96 + 14x

First, subtract 60 from each side:

18x = 36 + 14x

Next, subract 14x from each side:

4x = 36

Divide both sides by 4:

X = 9 years