SOLUTION: Please help me solve this problem. Elenore Morales traveled 1600 miles by commercial jet from Kansas City, Missouri, to Spokane, Washington. She then traveled an additional 500

Algebra ->  Equations -> SOLUTION: Please help me solve this problem. Elenore Morales traveled 1600 miles by commercial jet from Kansas City, Missouri, to Spokane, Washington. She then traveled an additional 500       Log On


   

Question 229775: Please help me solve this problem.
Elenore Morales traveled 1600 miles by commercial jet from Kansas City, Missouri, to Spokane, Washington. She then traveled an additional 500 miles on a private propeller plane from Spokane to Billings, Montana. If the speed of the jet was 4 times the speed of the propeller plane and the total time in the air was 6 hours, determine the speed of each plane.
I do not understand how to set up the equation.
Answer by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Morales traveled 1600 miles by commercial jet from Kansas City, Missouri, to Spokane, Washington.
He then traveled an additional 500 miles on a private propeller plane from Spokane to Billings, Montana.
If the speed of the jet was 4 times the speed of the propeller plane and the
total time in the air was 6 hours, determine the speed of each plane.
:
Let s = speed of the propeller plane
then
4s = speed of the jet
:
Write a time equation, Time = dist%2Fspeed
:
Jet time + prop time = 6 hrs
1600%2F%284s%29 + 500%2Fs = 6 hrs
:
Multiply equation by 4s to get rid of he denominators, results:
1600 + 4(500) = 6(4s)
1600 + 2000 = 24s
3600 = 24s
s = 3600%2F24
s = 150 mph speed of the prop
then
4(150) = 600 mph speed of the jet
;
:
Check solutions
1600/600 = 2.67 hrs
500/150 = 3.33 hrs
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Total time:6 hrs