SOLUTION: The trip out was 600 miles. The trip back was also 600 miles, but it took longer because the return speed was only one third of outgoing speed. If the round trip took 40 hours, wha

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Question 1157486: The trip out was 600 miles. The trip back was also 600 miles, but it took longer because the return speed was only one third of outgoing speed. If the round trip took 40 hours, what were the two speeds?
Found 3 solutions by greenestamps, josgarithmetic, ikleyn:
Answer by greenestamps(13195)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!

Solve by simple logical reasoning.

The distances are the same; and the return speed was 1/3 of the outgoing speed. That means the return trip took 3 times as long.

Since the total time was 40 hours, the outgoing trip took 10 hours and the return trip took 30 hours.

The speeds were 600/10 = 60mph and 600/30 = 20mph.

Answer by josgarithmetic(39613)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!

GOING 3r 600/3(r) 600 RETURNING r 600/r 600 TOTAL 40

r=20

Speed for returning, 20 mph

Answer by ikleyn(52750)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
.

Let "x" be the rate moving back. Then the rate moving "to there" was 3x Time traveling "to there" was hours. Time traveling back was hours. In all, the travel time is + = 40 hours. Multiply both sides by 3x. You will get 600 + 1800 = 3x*40, or 2400 = 120x. Hence, x = = 20 miles per hour. It is the rate moving back. The rate movong "to there" is 3 times this value, i.e. 3*20 = 60 miles per hour.

Solved.