Quandaries and Queries
  

 

Secondary,  Student,
 
Question: A car travels from one city to another at the speed of 32mph, if it had gone 4mph faster it could have made the trip in one half hour less. How far apart are the cities?

Thanks for any help. Peter.
 

 

Hi Peter,

Distance equals time times rate

At 32 mph

distance = time 32

At 32 + 4 = 36 mph

distance = (time -  1/2) 36

But the distance is the same each time, so

time 32 = (time -  1/2) 36
time 32 = time 36 - 18
4 time = 18
time = 9/2 hours.

What is the distance?

Penny

 
 

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