Final answer:
To bike 185 km at an average speed of 15.5 km/h, the student would need approximately 11.94 hours. This calculation is based on an average cycling speed for a casual rider and does not account for breaks or speed fluctuations.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine how long the student must ride to cover 185 km, we need to know her average speed. Since this information was not provided, we'll consider an average cycling speed for a casual rider from the reference information, which is 13-18 km/h. For calculation purposes, let's take an average speed of 15.5 km/h (the midpoint of the given range).
Step 1: Find the total cycling time using the formula time = distance / speed.
Step 2: Insert the values into the formula: time = 185 km / 15.5 km/h.
Step 3: Calculate the time: time = 11.935 hours.
The student would approximately need 11.94 hours to complete the 185 km trip at an average speed of 15.5 km/h. This is a rounded value as the actual speed may vary and we've used an average speed for the calculation.
Next, let's check if the answer is reasonable: Considering a cyclist traveling at an average pace for a substantial distance, the time calculated seems reasonable, given breaks and possible fluctuations in speed are not included in the calculation.