James is trying to create a new breed of kittens with extra-long tails. Each generation of kittens he breeds has a tail 25% longer than the last generation. If the first generation has tails 16 cm long, how long are the third generation's tails? Give me reasons, before answering the question
First find how much longer the second generation's tails are: 25% * 16 cm = 4 cm. Then add that length to the first generation's tail length to find the second generation's tail length: 4 cm + 16 cm = 20 cm. Then find how much longer the third generation's tails are: 25% * 20 cm = 5 cm. Then add that length to the second generation's tail length to find the third generation's tail length: 5 cm + 20 cm = 25 cm. So the final answer is 25.