Question

A light aircraft travels 5 miles per hour less than twice the speed of a bus. If the bus can travel 114 miles in the same time it takes the aircraft to travel 218 miles, then what is the average speed of each?

Answer 1

a represents the speed of the aircraft.
b represents the speed of the bus.

a=2b-5
114/b=218/a

Substitution method

114/b=218/(2b-5)

(2b-5)*(114/b)= 218

(228b-570)/b = 218

228b-570= 218b

228b-218b=570

10b= 570

b=57

Plug the value of b into one of the original equations.

a=2(57)-5
a=114-5
a=109

Final answer:
Average speed of plane= 109
Average speed of bus= 57