Question

After eating lunch together, Jay and Paul start walking in opposite directions. Jay walks 0.75 miles every 15 minutes and Paul power walks 2.5 miles every 30 minutes. In miles, how far apart are they after 1.5 hours?

Answer 1

12 miles

Explanation:

Jay walks 0.75 miles in 15 minutes, or 1/4 hour, so his speed is:

0.75 mi / 0.25 hr = 3 mi/hr

Paul walks 2.5 miles in 30 minutes, or 1/2 hour, so his speed is:

2.5 mi / 0.50 hr = 5 mi/hr

After 1.5 hours, Jay has walked a distance of:

3 mi/hr × 1.5 hr = 4.5 mi

And Paul has walked a distance of:

5 mi/hr × 1.5 hr = 7.5 mi

So the total distance between them is:

4.5 mi + 7.5 mi = 12 mi