Pieter wrote and solved an equation that models the number of hours it takes to dig a well to a level of 72 feet below sea level.7h – 5(3h – 8) = –72Which statement is true about Pieter’s solution?

Distribute the −5 and combine like terms: 7h − 15h + 40 = −72, so −8h = −112 and h = 14. Since h represents the number of hours, it is positive; the negative value describes the well’s depth relative to sea level, not the time taken. The true statement is that the answer must be a positive number because it represents hours.

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.