Let's solve this problem step by step:
1. Determine the rate at which Eric and his crew plant trees:
- They planted 40 trees in 8 hours today.
- To find the rate per hour, divide the number of trees planted by the number of hours:
[tex]\[
\text{Rate} = \frac{40 \text{ trees}}{8 \text{ hours}} = 5 \text{ trees per hour}
\][/tex]
2. Calculate the remaining number of trees to plant:
- Total trees to plant: 50 trees
- Trees already planted: 40 trees
- Trees left to plant:
[tex]\[
\text{Trees left} = 50 \text{ trees} - 40 \text{ trees} = 10 \text{ trees}
\][/tex]
3. Determine the time required to plant the remaining trees:
- Using the planting rate of 5 trees per hour, find how long it takes to plant the remaining 10 trees:
[tex]\[
\text{Time} = \frac{10 \text{ trees}}{5 \text{ trees per hour}} = 2 \text{ hours}
\][/tex]
Therefore, it will take Eric and his crew 2 hours to finish planting the remaining trees.
The correct answer is A. 2 hours.
