Problema Solution

A bicyclist travels at a constant rate on her bicycle. Biking with the wind, it takes 2.6 hours to travel 52 miles. Biking against the wind, the return trip takes 4 hours. If there was no wind, how fast was the cyclist biking?

Answer provided by our tutors

let


c = the speed of the bicyclist with no wind


w = the speed of the wind


Biking with the wind, it takes 2.6 hours to travel 52 miles:


(c + w)*2.6 = 52


Biking against the wind, the return trip takes 4 hours:


(c - w)*4 = 52


by solving the system of equations:


(c + w)*2.6 = 52

(c - w)*4 = 52


we find


c = 16.5 mph


w = 3.5 mph


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the cyclist's speed without wind was 16.5 mph.