To find the speed at which Jessica rode her bicycle, we can use the given information and follow these steps:
1. Sandy and Jessica travel the same distance of 16 miles.
2. Sandy rides her bicycle at a rate of 12 miles per hour.
3. Jessica reaches the place 45 minutes later than Sandy.
First, let's convert the time difference from minutes to hours. Since there are 60 minutes in an hour, 45 minutes is equal to 45/60 = 0.75 hours.
Next, we can calculate the time it took for Jessica to travel 16 miles by subtracting the time difference from Sandy's time. Sandy took 16 miles / 12 miles per hour = 1.33 hours to travel the distance. Therefore, Jessica took 1.33 + 0.75 = 2.08 hours to cover the same 16 miles.
To find Jessica's speed, we divide the distance (16 miles) by the time (2.08 hours):
Speed = Distance / Time
Speed = 16 miles / 2.08 hours ≈ 8 miles per hour.
Therefore, Jessica rode her bicycle at approximately 7.69 miles per hour.
It's important to note that this calculation assumes a constant speed for both Sandy and Jessica throughout their entire journey.