Question

A passenger train traveled to New York and back. The trip there took 16 hours and the trip back took 20 hours. What was the passenger trains average speed on the trip there if it averaged 20 km/h on the return trip.

Answer 1

The average speed of the passenger train on the trip to New York was calculated as 25 km/h by using the formula for average speed (total distance divided by total time) and the given information that the return trip had an average speed of 20 km/h and took 20 hours.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the average speed of the passenger train on the trip to New York, we'll use the formula for average speed:

Average speed = Total distance / Total time

We are given that the train's average speed on the return trip was 20 km/h and that it took 20 hours. Since the distance to New York and back is the same, we can calculate the distance covered on the return trip as follows:

Distance (return trip) = Average speed (return trip) × Time (return trip)

Distance (return trip) = 20 km/h × 20 h = 400 km

Now, we have the distance for the trip to New York, which is also 400 km, since the round trip covers the same distance both ways.

To find the average speed for the trip there, we divide the distance by the time it took, as follows:

Average speed (to New York) = Distance (to New York) / Time (to New York)

Average speed (to New York) = 400 km / 16 h = 25 km/h

Therefore, the train's average speed on the trip to New York was 25 km/h.