The Main Hall on the college campus has four main levels, from the basement up to the third floor. The technology staff in the basement occasionally needs to see the President, who is on the first floor, and the Dean who is on the third floor. The stairs from floor to floor all have the same number of steps. How many times as high is the climb from the basement to the third floor (and back) as a climb from the basement to the first floor (and back)?

2
2.5
3
Unable to determine

Explain your answer.

With the same number of steps, it would be 3 times. Now you see if you can explain it.

To determine the answer, we need to understand the difference in height between the basement and the third floor compared to the basement and the first floor.

Let's assume each level is of equal height, which means the distance between the basement and the first floor is the same as the distance between the first floor and the second floor, and so on.

To calculate the answer, we need to find the ratio of the number of steps it takes to climb from the basement to the third floor (and back) compared to the number of steps it takes to climb from the basement to the first floor (and back).

If we represent the number of steps required to climb from the basement to the first floor as "x," then the number of steps to climb from the basement to the third floor would be "3x" (as there are three levels from the basement to the third floor).

Now, let's consider the return journey as well. To get back from the first floor to the basement, it will take another "x" steps, and to get back from the third floor to the basement, it will take "3x" steps.

So, the complete climb from the basement to the third floor and back would be 3x + 3x = 6x steps, and the climb from the basement to the first floor and back would be x + x = 2x steps.

Now, to find the ratio of the climb from the basement to the third floor (and back) to the climb from the basement to the first floor (and back), we can simplify it as (6x)/(2x) = 3.

Therefore, the climb from the basement to the third floor (and back) is three times as high as the climb from the basement to the first floor (and back).

Hence, the correct answer is 3.