Average Speed
Pro Problems > Math > Algebra > Equations > Word Problems > Linear > Rate and TimeAverage Speed
John drove at 20 mph for 30 minutes, and then he drove back home at 10 mph. What was his average speed for the entire trip?
Solution
In order to make it feasible for teachers to use these problems in their classwork, no solutions are publicly visible, so students cannot simply look up the answers. If you would like to view the solutions to these problems, you must have a Virtual Classroom subscription.Similar Problems
Building a Wall
If Jameson can build a 20 foot wall in 6 hours, and Jaqueline can build a 50 foot wall in 12 hours, and the two of them work together to build a 180 foot wall (with each of them starting at opposite ends of the wall), how much wall will each build before the wall is complete?
Arrival Time
Two trains are traveling from Washington DC to Bangor, ME. The first train leaves Washington DC and travels to Boston, MA (430 miles) and has a two hour stop before continuing on to Bangor (250 miles).
The second train leaves Washington DC one and a half hour later than the first train. It travels by way of Albany, NY (338 miles) and then continues directly on to Bangor (400 miles).
If the first train travels at 34 mph, how fast does the second train have to travel to reach Bangor at the same time as the first train?
Traveling to the City
A car travels from city A to city B in 12 hours. It then travels from city B to city C at the same speed, in 8 hours. If the car was traveling 5 mph faster, it would have traveled from city A to city B in 10 hours. What is the distance from city B to city C?
A Long Walk
Marco walks a certain distance at a certain speed (measured in miles per hour), and then returns over the same distance at a speed one mph less than his original walking speed. He took a total of 35 hours. If, instead of slowing down for his return journey, he had sped up by one mph, his journey would have taken 27 hours. How far did he walk?
Daylight Savings Time
A clock adjusts its timing each night by contacting a satellite at 2:00 AM to find out the official standard time. Since it has a mechanical action with physical minute, second and hour hands, if the clock finds out it is out of sync, it will move at 12 times normal speed in order to "catch up" with the actual time. (If it is ahead of the correct time, it will still move forward, until it wraps around to the correct time.)
In the fall, when Daylight Savings Time happens, at 2:00 the satellite tells the clock that it is actually 1:00. Thus, the clock has to move forward at high speed until it wraps around to the correct time.
How long will it take the clock to be displaying the correct time again?
Jack and Jane
Jack can mow a lawn in 6 hours, and Jane can mow it in 4 hours. If they work together, how long will it take them to mow the lawn? Give your answer in minutes.
Mowing Lawns
Greg can mow a lawn in 4 hours. Rudy can mow a lawn in 3 hours. If they work together, how many hours will it take them to mow 14 lawns?
Fast Reader
I have four books, each with n pages, and I can read them all in four hours.
I have four more books, each with each 120 fewer pages than my original four books. I can read them all in three hours.
I have five more books, each with 120 more pages than my original four books. How long would it take me to read all five books?
A Boy and a Half
A boy and a half can eat a cookie and a half in a minute and a half. How long, in seconds, would it take 5 boys to eat 8 cookies?
Sam and Sandy Race
Sam can run 300 yards, 120 feet and 10 inches in the same time that Sandy can run 200 yards, 10 feet, and 30 inches. If the two of them run a 100 meter dash, by how many meters will Sam beat Sandy?