Question

A jet left the airport and flew south. A passenger plane left one hour later flying 52mph faster in an effort to catch up to it. After seven hours the passenger plane finally caught up. Find the jet’s average speed

Answer 1

Jet average speed was 45.5 miles per hour.

Solution:

Given that a jet left airport and flew south. A passenger plane left one hour later flying at 52 miles per hour trying to catch up the jet.

After seven hours passenger plane caught up jet.

So distance travelled by passenger plane in 7 hours is same as distance travelled by jet in 7 + 1 = 8 hours as jet plane left 1 hour early.

Distance travelled by passenger plane = speed x time = 52 x 7 = 364 miles

So same distance that is 364 miles is travelled by jet plane in 8 hours.

`Speed = (distance)/(time)`

=> Speed of jet =
`(364)/(8)` = 45.5 miles per hour.

Hence jet average speed was 45.5 miles per hour.