Final answer:
To find the average speed of the ball, we divide the total distance by the total time, resulting in an average speed of 53.6 mph. Converting this to miles per minute, the ball's average speed is approximately 0.8933 miles per minute.
Step-by-step explanation:
The average speed of an object is calculated by dividing the total distance traveled by the total time taken to travel that distance. The student's question about calculating the average speed of a ball that rolled for a certain distance over a given time frame falls under the realm of mathematics, specifically within the topic of speed and velocity calculations, commonly dealt with in middle school and high school curricula.
Given that the ball rolled 268 miles in 5 hours, we first need to calculate the average speed in miles per hour. This is done by dividing the total distance by the total time:
Calculate the speed in miles per hour (mph):
Average speed = Total distance ÷ Total time
Average speed = 268 miles ÷ 5 hours
Average speed = 53.6 mph
Convert the average speed into miles per minute (mpm):
There are 60 minutes in one hour, so to find the speed in miles per minute,
Average speed = 53.6 mph × (1 hour / 60 minutes)
Average speed = 0.8933 mpm (rounded to four decimal places)
Therefore, the ball's average speed was approximately 0.8933 miles per minute.