SOLUTION: A truck with a heavy load drove from Boston to New York at 45 mph. After unloading, it returned from New York to Boston at a speed of 65 mph. What was its average speed for the who

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Question 919592: A truck with a heavy load drove from Boston to New York at 45 mph. After unloading, it returned from New York to Boston at a speed of 65 mph. What was its average speed for the whole trip?
Found 2 solutions by josgarithmetic, MathTherapy:
Answer by josgarithmetic(39620) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Both parts of equal distances.

________________rate__________time_________distance
Heavy___________45____________d%2F45_______________d
Light___________65____________d%2F65_______________d

Average speed is total distance divided by total time.
%28d%2Bd%29%2F%28d%2F45%2Bd%2F65%29

Answer by MathTherapy(10552) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!

A truck with a heavy load drove from Boston to New York at 45 mph. After unloading, it returned from New York to Boston at a speed of 65 mph. What was its average speed for the whole trip?

Let distance from New York to Boston, and vice-versa, be D
Then, time taken to travel from Boston to New York is: D%2F45
Also, time taken to travel from New York to Boston is: D%2F65
Total time taken for entire trip: D%2F45+%2B+D%2F65______%2813D+%2B+9D%29%2F585______22D%2F585
Average speed: %28Total_Distance%29%2FTotal_Time
Average speed: 2D%2F%2822D%2F585%29
Average speed: %282D%2F1%29+%2A+%28585%2F%2822D%29%29
Average speed: cross%282D%29+%2A+585%2F11cross%2822D%29 ------ Canceling 2D in numerator and denominator
Average speed: 585%2F11, or highlight_green%28highlight_green%2853%262%2F11%29%29%29 mph