SOLUTION: May I please have help in a strategy to figure out this problem. A driver sets out on a journey. For the first half of the distance she drives at the leisurely pace of 20 mi/h;

Algebra ->  Customizable Word Problem Solvers  -> Travel -> SOLUTION: May I please have help in a strategy to figure out this problem. A driver sets out on a journey. For the first half of the distance she drives at the leisurely pace of 20 mi/h;       Log On

Ad: Over 600 Algebra Word Problems at edhelper.com


    

Question 786688: May I please have help in a strategy to figure out this problem.
A driver sets out on a journey. For the first half of the distance she drives at the leisurely pace of 20 mi/h; she drives the second half at 80 mi/h. What is her average speed on this trip?
Answer by wilft1(217) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
i just thought of another way to look at it...
the way its worded
1st half she goes 20 mph
2nd half she goes 80 mph
doesent give distance or time, just speed
so we can assume that it took her 4 times as long to get through the first half of her trip as did her second half, we can put that into the equation
20 + 20 + 20 + 20 + 80 = 180/5 = 36 mph average speed
i may be wrong, but its a shot in the dark.