Question

A car is making a 40 mi trip. It travels the first half of the total distance 20.0 mi at 18.00 mph and the last half of the total distance 20.0 mi at 56.00 mph. What is the car’s average speed in mph for the entire second trip?

Answer 1

Answer: The average speed is 27,24 mph (exactly 1008/37 mph)

Explanation:

This is solved using a three rule: We know the speeds and the distances, what we can obtain from it is the time used. It is done like this:

1h--->18mi

X ---->20 mi, then X=20mi*1h/18mi= 10/9 h=1,111 h

1h--->56mi

X ---->20 mi, then X=20mi*1h/56mi= 5/14 h=0,35714 h

Then the average speed is calculated by taking into account that it was traveled 40mi and the time used was 185/126 h=1,468 h and since speed is distance over time we get the answer. Average speed= 40mi/(185/126 h)=1008/37 mph=27,24 mph.