SOLUTION: A commuter plane provides transportation from an international Airport to surrounding citiea one commuter plane averaged 180 mph flying to a city and 120 mph retunring to the airpo

Click here to see ALL problems on Miscellaneous Word Problems

Question 1162991: A commuter plane provides transportation from an international Airport to surrounding citiea one commuter plane averaged 180 mph flying to a city and 120 mph retunring to the airport. The total flyinf time was 4 hours. Find the distanxe between the two airports
Found 2 solutions by ikleyn, greenestamps:
Answer by ikleyn(52884)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
.

Again, it is a TWIN problem to the one solved 10 minutes ago.

https://www.algebra.com/algebra/homework/Finance/Finance.faq.question.1162990.html

https://www.algebra.com/algebra/homework/Finance/Finance.faq.question.1162990.html

If d is one way distance, then you have this "time" equation + = 4 hours (total flight time). Multiply both sides by 360 and get 2d + 3d = 1440 5d = 1440 d = = 288 miles. ANSWER

Solved.

----------------

Using "time" equation is a STANDARD method of solving such problems.
From my post, learn on how to write, how to use and how to solve a "time" equation.

To see many other similar solved problems, look into the lessons
    - Had a car move faster it would arrive sooner
    - How far do you live from school?
    - Earthquake waves
    - Time equation: HOW TO use, HOW TO write and HOW TO solve it
in this site.

Answer by greenestamps(13209)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!

Here is an alternative method for solving problems like this, if a formal algebraic solution is not required.

For me, this alternative method is much faster than using formal algebra to write and solve an equation.

The ratio of the two speeds is 180:120 = 3:2; since the distances are the same, that means the ratio of times at the two speeds is 2:3.

So 2/5 of the total time of 4 hours, or 8/5 hours, was at the higher speed; and the other 12/5 hours was at the lower speed.

Then the distance is (8/5 hours)*(180mph) = 288 miles
or
the distance is (12/5 hours)*(120mph) = 288 miles