Problema Solution

Mary competed in a biathlon that involved running and cycling. She covered a total distance of 65 miles in 3 hours. If she ran at a rate of 5 mph and cycled at a rate of 25 mph, how long did she spend running

Answer provided by our tutors

Let

t = the time Mary spent running

3 - t = the time Mary spent cycling

v1 = 5 mph the running rate

v2 = 25 mph the cycling rate

d = 65 mi the total distances Mary passed

Since distance = speed*time we have:

v1*t + v2*(3 - t) = d

5t + 25(3 - t) = 65

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click here to see the equation solved for t

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t = 0.5 hr

t = 0.5*60 min

t = 30 min

Mary spent 30 minutes running.