Question

A car travels the 120 miles from A to B at 60 miles per hour, and then returns to A on the same road. If the average rate of the round trip is 45 miles per hour, what is the rate, in miles per hour, of the car traveling back from B to A?

Answer 1

Outbound Trip 120 miles 60 mph equals 2 hours

Return Trip 120 miles

Total Trip 240 miles at 45 mph average speed

Total time = distance / rate = 240 / 45 = 5.3333333333 Hours

The return trip of 120 miles takes (5.3333333333 Hours MINUS 2 hours)

Return Trip Speed = 120 / 3.333333333 = 36 miles per hour