ANSWER
[tex]\begin{equation*} 8\text{ }inches \end{equation*}[/tex]EXPLANATION
We want to find how many inches Tom grew.
To do this, first, convert the heights from feet/inches to inches. To convert from feet to inches, use the conversion rate:
[tex]1\text{ }ft=12\text{ }in[/tex]Therefore, the heights in inches are:
[tex]\begin{gathered} 3\text{ }ft\text{ }4\text{ }in=(3*12)+4=36+4=40\text{ }in \\ 4\text{ }ft=4*12=48\text{ }in \end{gathered}[/tex]The number of inches that Tom grew can be found by calculating the difference between the two heights.
That is:
[tex]\begin{gathered} 48-40 \\ \Rightarrow8\text{ }inches \end{gathered}[/tex]That is the answer.
