Question

A snail climbs 2 m 38 cm up a wall and slides down 1 m 15 cm. How many millimeters did it climb?

Answer 1

Hint: We start solving the problem by recalling the conversions of meters to millimeters and centimeters to millimeters. We then converted the given distance climbed and slipped on the wall by snail to millimeters using these conversions. We then subtract the slipped distance from the climbed distance to find the effective distance climbed by snail in millimeters.

Complete step-by-step answer:
According to the problem, we have given a snail which climbs 2 m 38 cm up a wall and slides down 1 m 15 cm. We need to find the distance that the snail climbed in millimeters.
Let us convert all the given distances in terms of millimeters.
We know that 1 meter is equal to 1000 millimeters i.e., 1 m = 1000 mm. Also 1 centimeter is equal to 1000 millimeters i.e., 1 cm = 1000mm.
Now, we convert the distance climbed by a snail on the wall to millimeters.
So, we have 2 m 38 cm = $\left( 2\times 1000 \right)+\left( 38\times 10 \right)mm$.
$\Rightarrow 2m\ 38cm=\left( 2000+380 \right)mm$.
$\Rightarrow 2m\ 38cm=2380mm$.
So, snail climbed a distance of 2380 mm ---(1).
Now, let us convert the distance slipped by a snail on the wall to millimeters.
So, we have 1 m\ 15 cm = $\left( 1\times 1000 \right)+\left( 15\times 10 \right)mm$.
$\Rightarrow 1m\ 15cm=\left( 1000+150 \right)mm$.
$\Rightarrow 1m\ 15cm=1150mm$.
So, the snail slipped a distance of 1150 mm ---(2) after climbing 2380 mm.
Now, let us find the effective distance climbed by a snail.
So, effective distance climbed = $\left( 2380-1150 \right)mm$.
$\Rightarrow $Effective distance climbed by snail = 1230 mm.
So, we have found the distance climbed by a snail as 1230 mm.
∴ The total distance climbed by snail is 1230 mm.

Note: We should not confuse with the conversions of distances while solving this problem. We can also find the effective distance climbed in meters and cm and then convert it to the millimeters using the conversions. If we get the effective distance as negative, then we should know that the snail has fallen down to the ground and the effective distance will be taken as zero.