Final answer:
The distance for the worker's commute is 24 miles. At the new speed limit of 30 mph, the time to travel this distance is calculated to be 48 minutes. To find this, first calculate the distance with the original speed and time, then divide that distance by the new speed limit and convert the result back into minutes.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the new travel time when the speed limit is reduced from 40 miles per hour (mph) to 30 mph, we first need to determine the distance of the worker's commute. Since the current journey takes 36 minutes at 40 mph, we use the formula:
The worker's current speed is 40 mph and the time is 36 minutes, which is 0.6 hours (since there are 60 minutes in an hour).
So the distance is:
Distance = 40 mph × 0.6 hours = 24 miles
With the new speed limit of 30 mph, we can find out how long it will take to cover the same 24-mile distance by rearranging the formula to solve for time:
The calculation will be:
Time = 24 miles / 30 mph = 0.8 hours
To convert 0.8 hours back into minutes, we multiply by 60 minutes per hour:
Time = 0.8 hours × 60 minutes/hour = 48 minutes
Therefore, the new travel time at a 30 mph speed limit will be 48 minutes.