SOLUTION: Help please. I think I know the equation, but not sure. I think the equation is Speed = distance/time Brenda and her husband Randy bicycled cross-country together. One mornin

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Question 76895: Help please. I think I know the equation, but not sure. I think the equation is Speed = distance/time
Brenda and her husband Randy bicycled cross-country together. One morning Brenda rode 30 miles. By traveling only 5 miles per hour faster and putting in one more hour, Randy coverd twice the distance Brenda covered. What was the speed of each cyclist?

Answer by Edwin McCravy(20054)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!

Help please. I think I know the equation, but not sure. 
think the equation is Speed = distance/time 
Brenda and her husband Randy bicycled cross-country together.
One morning Brenda rode 30 miles. By traveling only 5 miles 
per hour faster and putting in one more hour, Randy covered
twice the distance Brenda covered. What was the speed of 
each cyclist?

Make this chart:

        DISTANCE   RATE    TIME
Brenda   
Randy   

>>...Brenda rode 30 miles...<<

>>...Randy covered twice the distance Brenda covered...<<

So fill in 30 for Brenda's distance and twice that, or 60
for Randy's distance:


        DISTANCE   RATE    TIME
Brenda   30         
Randy    60       

Let x be Brenda's rate (speed). Fill that in

        DISTANCE   RATE    TIME
Brenda   30         x     
Randy    60      


>>...By traveling only 5 miles per hour faster...Randy...<<

So fill in Randy's speed as x+5


        DISTANCE   RATE    TIME
Brenda   30         x      
Randy    60        x+5    

Now use TIME = DISTANCE/RATE to fill in the rest of the
chart:

        DISTANCE   RATE    TIME
Brenda   30         x      
Randy    60        x+5    

To make the equation, we look to see what we haven't used:

>>...putting in one more hour, Randy...<< 

So Randy's time = Brenda's time + 1 hour



Can you solve that?  If not post again asking how.

Answer: x = 10

So Brenda's speed = x = 10mph
Randy's speed = x+5 = 10+5 = 15mph.

Edwin


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