An insect is at a point A on a wall. It crawls up 3 inches and thenn slides down by 6 inches. The insect then again crawls up 5 inches. How many inches above or below the point A is the insect now?

Answer

To solve the problem step by step, we will track the insect's movements and calculate its final position relative to point A.

### Step 1: Initial Position
The insect starts at point A. We can consider point A as our reference point, which we will denote as 0 inches.

### Step 2: Crawling Up
The insect crawls up 3 inches from point A.
- Calculation:
\[ 0 + 3 = 3 \text{ inches} \]
- Position after this step: 3 inches above point A.

### Step 3: Sliding Down
Next, the insect slides down by 6 inches.
- Calculation:
\[ 3 - 6 = -3 \text{ inches} \]
- Position after this step: 3 inches below point A (since -3 inches indicates a position below A).

### Step 4: Crawling Up Again
The insect then crawls up 5 inches.
- Calculation:
\[ -3 + 5 = 2 \text{ inches} \]
- Position after this step: 2 inches above point A.

### Final Answer
The insect is now 2 inches above point A.

### Summary of Movements:
1. Start at A (0 inches).
2. Crawls up 3 inches → 3 inches above A.
3. Slides down 6 inches → 3 inches below A (-3 inches).
4. Crawls up 5 inches → 2 inches above A.

### Conclusion
The insect is 2 inches above point A.

---