Answer is 5 bounces

Bounce count Distance traveled Total distance traveled
_____1_______16__________________16
_____2_______8 (rise) + 8 (fall________32
_____3_______4(rise) + 4(fall)________40
_____4_______2(rise) + 2(fall)________44
_____5_______1 + 1_______________46
_____6_______0.5 + 0.5____________47

Hence 6 bounces. Answer is B





+1 for kudos

Going down = 16 m

Going Up = 8 --> Total = 24

Going down = 8 --> Total = 32

Going Up = 4 --> Total = 36

Going down = 4 --> Total = 40

Going up = 2 --> Total = 42

Going down = 2 --> Total = 44

Going up = 1 --> Total = 45

Going down = 1 --> Total = 46

Going up = 0.5 --> Total = 46.5 (Caught)

No of going downs = 5 .. Option A

the solution can be written as 16,8,8,4,4,2,2,1,1,.5 with every odd number being a bounce.hence 5

Sent from my MI 3W using GMAT Club Forum mobile app

Wow... I can't believe I didn't think of calculating the balls travel distance as it bounced up.

An efficient way to solve to this problem is to keep track of the distance the ball traveled in each bounce and the cumulative total distance it traveled.

1st bounce: 16 meters down and 8 meters up → traveled 24 meters

2nd bounce: 8 meters down and 4 meters up → traveled 12 meters + 24 meters earlier = 36 meters

3rd bounce: 4 meters down and 2 meters up → traveled 6 meters + 36 meters earlier = 42 meters

4th bounce: 2 meters down and 1 meter up → traveled 3 meters + 42 meters earlier = 45 meters

5th bounce: 1 meter up and 0.5 meter down → traveled 1.5 meters + 45 meters earlier = 46.5 meters

Answer: A
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