Billy is counting the rings in two trees. Weather fluctuations in this area mean that each tree's rings are in groups of two fat rings and four thin rings. If Billy counts 70 ring groups in the first tree and 40 ring groups in the second tree, how much older is the first tree? (Trees grow 1 ring per year.)
Thoughts? Step-by-step reasoning:
First find the total number of rings in a ring group: 2 rings + 4 rings = 6 rings. Then subtract the number of ring groups in the second tree from the number in the first tree to find the difference: 70 groups - 40 groups = 30 groups. Then multiply that number by the number of rings in a group to find the difference in the trees' ages: 30 groups * 6 rings / group = 180 rings, or 180 years.
Thus, the answer is 180.