Question

Alberto and Bianca run a 50 km race. The illustration below shows the graph of the position of the two runners as a function of time. What can you infer from the graph about their race performance?

a) Alberto finished the race faster than Bianca.
b) Bianca started the race at a slower pace but finished strong.
c) Alberto and Bianca maintained a constant speed throughout the race.
d) The graph does not provide enough information to make any inferences.

Answer 1

Based on the description, we assess race performance by examining the progression and endpoint of the runners' lines on the graph. Alberto finished faster if his line reaches 50 km first. Bianca finished strong if her pace increased towards the end. A constant speed is indicated by parallel lines. Without the graph, no inference can be made.

Step-by-step explanation:

To infer the race performance of Alberto and Bianca from the graph of the position of two runners as a function of time in a 50 km race, we need to analyze various aspects:

• If Alberto's line reaches the 50 km mark before Bianca's, then Alberto finished the race faster than Bianca.
• Should Bianca's line start with a shallower slope and then become steeper than Alberto's towards the end, it indicates that Bianca started the race at a slower pace but finished strong.
• If both lines are straight and parallel to each other, it implies that Alberto and Bianca maintained a constant speed throughout the race.
• Without the graph, we cannot make any inferences, thus the graph is essential for making any conclusions about their performance.

If the question refers to a hypothetical or missing graph, the answer is (d) The graph does not provide enough information to make any inferences.