Final answer:
The locomotive can travel 40,800 meters in 40.0 minutes, when we multiply its average speed of 17.0 m/s by the total number of seconds (2400) in 40 minutes.
Step-by-step explanation:
If the average speed of a locomotive is 17.0 m/s, to calculate how far it can travel in 40.0 minutes, you would first convert the time into seconds since the speed is given in meters per second. There are 60 seconds in a minute, so 40 minutes is equal to 2400 seconds (40 x 60 = 2400). Next, you multiply the average speed by the time to find the distance:
Distance = Speed x Time
Distance = 17.0 m/s x 2400 s = 40800 meters
Therefore, the locomotive can travel 40800 meters in 40.0 minutes, which is option c) 40800 meters, not any of the presented options a) 4080 meters, b) 680 meters, c) 6800 meters, or d) 408 meters.