Question

A small plane flies 760,320 yards in 2 hours. Use the formula d = rt to answer the following questions:

a) Rearrange the distance formula, d = rt, to solve for the rate.
b) Find the plane's rate in yards per hour.
c) Find the plane's rate in miles per hour.
d) Which unit, yards or miles, makes more sense to use in this scenario, and why?

Answer 1

The formula for rate is r = d/t. The plane's rate is 380,160 yards per hour or approximately 216 miles per hour. Miles per hour is the more appropriate unit for aviation speeds.

Step-by-step explanation:

To solve for rate using the distance formula d = rt, we rearrange the formula to solve for r. This is done by dividing both sides of the equation by t, resulting in r = d/t.

Given the distance d of 760,320 yards and a time t of 2 hours, we can find the plane's rate in yards per hour by plugging the values into the rearranged formula:

• Rate (r) = 760,320 yards / 2 hours = 380,160 yards per hour

To convert this rate into miles per hour, we use the fact that there are 1,760 yards in a mile:

• Rate (r) in miles per hour = 380,160 yards per hour / 1,760 yards per mile = approximately 216 miles per hour

When discussing the speed of a plane, using miles per hour is more practical and universally understood, especially in aviation where mile-based measurements are customary for speed and distance.