Riddle: Not far off shore a ship stands with a rope ladder hanging over her side. The rope has 10 rungs. The distance between each rung is 12 inches. The lowest rung touches the water. The ocean is calm. Because of the incoming tide, the surface of the water rises 4 inches per hour. How soon will the water cover the third rung from the top rung of the rope ladder?
Answer: When a problem deals with a physical phenonmenon, the phenonmenon should be considered as well as the numbers given. As the water rises, so does the rope ladder. The water will never cover the rung.
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