Question

a woman can walk two miles per hour faster down the trail to cochita lake than she can on the return trip uphill. It takes her two hours to get to the lake and four hours to return. What is the distance of the trail?

Answer 1

8 miles

Explanation:

Downhill

speed = s+2

time = 2 h

then distance d = (s+2)2....i

Uphill

speed = s

time = 4 h

then distance d= 4s...ii

According to question i = ii

⇒(s+2)2 =4s

s = 2 miles/h

then distance d = 2×4 = 8 miles [from eq. ii]