A fireman stood in the middle of a step ladder. He climbed down 4 steps and continued his work. He went down 8 more then back up 9 to the top. How many steps were on the ladder?
Something is wrong here. If he went down a total of 12 steps and up 9, this would leave him 3 steps below his original position. That cannot be the top.
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To find out how many steps were on the ladder, we can start by determining the fireman's position after each movement. Let's break it down step by step:
1. The fireman starts in the middle of the ladder.
2. He climbs down 4 steps, so he is now 4 steps above the bottom.
3. He goes down 8 more steps, which means he is now 8 + 4 = 12 steps above the bottom.
4. He then goes back up 9 steps, resulting in a position of 12 - 9 = 3 steps above the bottom.
5. Finally, he reaches the top of the ladder, which means he ascends the remaining 3 steps.
Therefore, the ladder must have 3 + 9 = 12 steps in total.