Question

The tortoise and the hare agree to a re-match. As they begin the race, the tortoise plods along slowly but confidently at 2 ½ mph. The hare zips ahead at 8 ½ mph, determined not to repeat his original mistake...and he doesn't! The hare never slows down and reaches the finish line 45 minutes (3/4 of an hour) before the tortoise. How long did the tortoise run? a. 1 hour b. 2 hours c. 3 hours d. 4 hours

Answer 1

The tortoise ran for 7.5 hours, which is equivalent to 7 hours and 30 minutes.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the amount of time the tortoise ran, we need to determine the time it took for the hare to reach the finish line. Since the hare reached the finish line 45 minutes before the tortoise, we can subtract 45 minutes from the total time of the race to find the time it took for the hare. The hare's speed is 8 ½ mph, so we can use the formula distance = speed × time to find the distance the hare traveled. The tortoise's speed is 2 ½ mph, so we can use the same formula to find the distance the tortoise traveled. By dividing the distance traveled by the speed, we can find the time it took for each of them.

Let's calculate the time it took for the hare and the tortoise:

Hare's time = (Distance traveled by the hare) / (Speed of the hare) = (8.5 × Time)

Tortoise's time = (Distance traveled by the tortoise) / (Speed of the tortoise) = (2.5 × Time)

Since the hare's time is 45 minutes less than the tortoise's time:

(8.5 × Time) = (2.5 × Time) + 45

Now, we can solve this equation to find the time:

8.5 × Time - 2.5 × Time = 45

6 × Time = 45

Time = 7.5

Therefore, the tortoise ran for 7.5 hours, which is equivalent to 7 hours and 30 minutes.

Learn more about Time and Distance