SOLUTION: Please help me solve this word problem: The elevator in the Washington Monument takes 75 seconds to travel 500 feet to the top floor. What is the speed of the elevator in miles

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Question 892735: Please help me solve this word problem:
The elevator in the Washington Monument takes 75 seconds to travel 500 feet to the top floor. What is the speed of the elevator in miles per hour? Give your answer to two significant digits.
Answer by LinnW(1048) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
500 feet / 75 seconds
First let's find out how many feet we would travel in 60 seconds

75x =30000
divide each side by 75
x = 400
So we travel at 400ft/60 seconds or 400ft/minute
If we multiply 400 by 60 we will get feet/hour
= 24000 feet/hour
Since 1 mile = 5280 feet, if we divide 24000 by 5280
we end up with miles per hour
24000/5280 = miles per hour
or
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500(1/5280) = the numerator in miles
75(1/3600) = the number of hours in 75 seconds since there are 60*60 = 3600 seconds per hour
(500/5280)/(75/3600) = miles per hour