SOLUTION: Melanie’s family drove for 5 hours on the main highway and 3 hours on a smaller highway, and traveled a total of 456 miles. Their average speed was 8 miles per hour faster on the m
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Question 1110941: Melanie’s family drove for 5 hours on the main highway and 3 hours on a smaller highway, and traveled a total of 456 miles. Their average speed was 8 miles per hour faster on the main highway than on the smaller highway. What was their average speed on the smaller highway?
Let r be the rate of moving at the slower highway, in mph
Then the rate on the faster highway is (r+8) mph.
The total distance traveled equation is
5*(r+8) + 3r = 456 miles.
5r + 40 + 3r = 456
8r = 456 - 40 = 416
r = = 52.
Answer. 52 mph at the slower highway and 52+8 = 60 mph at the faster highway.
