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how do you calculate the average speed of a car that travels one mile at 30 mph and the second mile at 60 mph

User Utopia
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1 Answer

14 votes
14 votes

Answer:

40mph

Explanation:

use the speed = distance/time formula.

1. The first car has a speed of 30mph and travels one mile so the equation can be written as 30mph = 1/t.

Rearrange to get t = 1/30

1/30 of an hour is 2 minutes.

2. The second car has a speed of 60 mph and travels one mile so the equation can be written as 60mph = 1/t

Rearrange to get t = 1/60

1/60 of an hour is 1 minute.

The time it took for the total journey is 1 + 2 = 3 minutes

Writing 3 minutes as a fraction of an hour:

3/60 = 1/20

So using the s = d/t formula to calculate the average speed the formula can be written as (the speed is unknown, time is 1/20 and the distance is 2 miles):

Speed = 2/(1/20) = 2x20/1 = 40

Therefore the average speed of that car is 40 mph.

User Puja
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