Question

A bee flies 20 feet per second directly to a flowerbed from its hive. The bee stays at the flowerbed for fifteen minutes. Then it flies directly back to the hive at 12 feet per second. The nee is away from the hive for a total of twenty minutes.
A. Write an equation to find the distance of the flowerbed from the hive.
B. How far is the flowerbed from the hive?

Answer 1

A. The equation to find the distance of the flowerbed from the hive is: $\frac{x}{20}+\frac{x}{12}+900= 1200$ , where x is the distance.

B.  The flowerbed is 2250 feet far from the hive.

Explanation

Suppose, the distance of the flowerbed from the hive is $x$ feet.

The bee flies 20 feet per second directly to a flowerbed from its hive and flies directly back to the hive at 12 feet per second.

As, $Time=\frac{Distance}{Speed}$

So, the time taken by the bee to reach the flowerbed $= \frac{x}{20}$ seconds and the time taken to fly back to the hive $=\frac{x}{12}$ seconds.

The bee stays at the flowerbed for 15 minutes or (15×60)seconds or 900 seconds and it is away from the hive for a total of 20 minutes or (20×60)seconds or 1200 seconds.

So, the equation will be.......

$\frac{x}{20}+\frac{x}{12}+900= 1200\\ \\ \frac{3x+5x}{60}= 300\\ \\ 8x= 60*300\\ \\ 8x=18000\\ \\ x=\frac{18000}{8}=2250$

Thus, the distance of the flowerbed from the hive is 2250 feet.