A single-engine airplane carries enough fuel for an 8-hour flight. After the airplane has been flying for 1 h, the fuel tank begins to leak at a rate that would empty the tank in 12 h. How long after the leak begins does the plane have until it runs out of fuel?
To find out how long the plane has until it runs out of fuel after the leak begins, we need to determine the remaining flight time.
Given information:
- The airplane carries enough fuel for an 8-hour flight.
- The fuel tank begins to leak after 1 hour of flying and would empty in 12 hours.
Let's break down the information step by step:
1. Total flight time without the leak:
The airplane carries enough fuel for an 8-hour flight. So initially, the total flight time is 8 hours.
2. Time until the leak begins:
The fuel tank starts to leak after 1 hour of flying. Therefore, the remaining flight time at this point is 8 - 1 = 7 hours.
3. Time until the tank would empty due to the leak:
The leak would empty the fuel tank in 12 hours. Therefore, the remaining flight time after the leak begins is 7 - 12 = -5 hours.
Since the remaining flight time after the leak begins is negative (-5 hours), it means that the plane will run out of fuel 5 hours before the leak would empty the tank.
In conclusion, the plane has 5 hours until it runs out of fuel after the leak begins.