Question

Q3. a cyclist bikes x distance at 10 miles per hour and returns over the same path at 8 miles per hour. what is the cyclist's average rate for the round trip in miles per hour?

Answer 1

If he bikes for 10 miles per hour and 8 miles per hour for the same distance x miles, he went 10 miles per hour for x/10 hours, as Distance = Rate*Time and on the way back he would go for x/8 hours. So then he went 2x distance, in x/8 + x/10 hours. Since x/8 + x/10 = 10x/80 + 8x/80 = 18x/80 = 9x/40, he went 2x miles in 9x/40 hours. this can be converted into a rate with the above equation Distance = Rate*Time, so 2x=(9x/40) * Rate, thus we divide by 9x/40 on both sides to get 80x/9x = Rate, the x cancels out, and we get 80/9 Miles per hour.