SOLUTION: A train travels from city A to city B and then to city C. The distance from A to B is 175 miles and the distance from B to C is 130 miles. The average speed from A to B was 50 mile

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Question 1205689: A train travels from city A to city B and then to city C. The distance from A to B is 175 miles and the distance from B to C is 130 miles. The average speed from A to B was 50 miles per hour, and the average speed from B to C was 65 mph. What was the average speed from A to C (that is for the entire trip) in miles per hour?
The average speed was how many miles per hour.

Found 2 solutions by Theo, josgarithmetic:
Answer by Theo(13342) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
distance from A to B is 175 miles.
distance from B to C is 130 miles.

distance from A to C is 175 + 130 = 305 miles.

rate * time = distance.

from A to B, the rate is 50 miles per hour, so you get 50 * time = 175.
solve for time to get time = 175 / 50 = 3.5 hours.

from B to C, the rate is 65 miles per hour, so you get 65 * time = 130.
solve for time to get time = 130 / 65 = 2 hours.

total time from A to C is 5.5 hours.
total distance is 305 miles.
rate * time = distance becomes rate * 5.5 = 305.
solve for rate to get rate = 305 / 5.5 = 55.454545..... miles per hour.

that's the average speed for the whole trip from A to C.

as a fraction, that becomes 610/11 miles per hour which is equivalent to 55 and 5/11 miles per hour.

round 55.454545..... as required for your answer if fractional answers are not considered.


Answer by josgarithmetic(39625) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
PATH         SPEED             TIME           DISTANCE
A to B         50              175/50          175
B to C         65              130/65          130
----------------------------------------------------------
A to C                     175%2F50%2B130%2F65      175%2B130

You should know what to do from that.