document.write( "Question 1132034: An airplane travels west at 180 km/h, and returns east with the jet stream at 300 km/h. What was the average speed in km/h for the whole trip? \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #748875 by greenestamps(13200)\"\" \"About 
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\n" ); document.write( "Let d be the distance for each leg of the trip. Then the total time for the trip is

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\n" ); document.write( "The total distance is 2d; the average speed is total distance divided by total time:

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\n" ); document.write( "Simplified, that is 225 km/h.

\n" ); document.write( "Note the expression could have been simplified along the way; I kept it in this form so you could see where the formula cited by the other tutor came from.

\n" ); document.write( "ANSWER: the average speed is 225 km/h.

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\n" ); document.write( "Here is a different way I like to use for solving a problem like this.

\n" ); document.write( "The ratio of the two speeds is 180:300 = 3:5. Since the distances are the same, that means the ratio of the times is 5:3.

\n" ); document.write( "So for 5/8 of the time the plane is flying at 180 km/h, and for 3/8 of the time it is flying at 300 km/h. The average speed is then

\n" ); document.write( "\"%285%2F8%29%28180%29%2B%283%2F8%29%28300%29+=+900%2F8+%2B+900%2F8+=+900%2F4+=+225\"
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