A squirrel climbed 40% of the height of a pole in the first hour, and in the next hour it covered 25% of the remaining height. If the pole is 250 m high, what distance did the squirrel climb in the second hour?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → 37.5 m
The second percentage is of the height remaining after the first hour, not of the whole pole.
First hour: \(40\%\) of 250 \(=100\) m
Remaining \(=250-100=150\) m
Second hour: \(25\%\) of 150 \(=37.5\) m
In the second hour it climbed 37.5 m.
Why the other options are incorrect
Option (1) 100 m — Incorrect. This is the distance climbed in the first hour.
Option (3) 150 m — Incorrect. This is the height still left after the first hour, not the distance climbed in the second hour.
Option (4) 62.5 m — Incorrect. This takes 25% of the whole height; the second hour covers 25% of the remaining height.