Final answer:
The total distance covered by the hiker can be calculated by adding the distances of each leg of the journey.
Step-by-step explanation:
The total distance covered by the hiker can be calculated by adding the distances of each leg of the journey. Since the hiker walks from p to w to r and back from r to w to p, the distance covered is the sum of the distances p to w, w to r, r to w, and w to p.
Given that the hiker's speed is 4, we can use the formula distance = speed × time to find the distances covered. If we assume that each leg of the journey takes the same amount of time, then the total distance covered is 4 × (p to w + w to r + r to w + w to p).
Therefore, the total distance covered by the hiker is 4 times the sum of the distances p to w, w to r, r to w, and w to p.