Speed distance velocity

In summary, a plane flew 4200 km from Glasgow to Halifax into a head wind and 4200 km back into a tail wind. The total flying time for the round trip was 13 hours. Using the formula Speed x Time = Distance, we can set up equations for the speeds and times for each leg of the trip. By solving a quadratic equation, we can find the flying speed from Glasgow to Halifax.
  • #1
cleeoo27
3
0

Homework Statement



A plane flew 4200 km from Glasgow to Halifax into a head wind. With a tail wind, the plain flew 100km/h faster on the return trip. The total flying time from Glasgow to Halifax and back was 13 h. What was teh flying speed from glasgoq to Halifax?



The Attempt at a Solution



Speed x Time = Distance

G-H x 4200/x 4200

H-G x+100 4200/(x+100) 4200

TOT 13h

4200/x + 4200/(x+100) = 13 x (x)(x+100)

4200(x+100) + 4200 (x) = (13)(x)(x+100) ...


I kept doing this but none of these type of problems turn out right with me.
 
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  • #2
Looks good so far. It's just a quadratic equation. Keep going.
 
  • #3
cleeoo27 said:

Homework Statement



A plane flew 4200 km from Glasgow to Halifax into a head wind. With a tail wind, the plain flew 100km/h faster on the return trip. The total flying time from Glasgow to Halifax and back was 13 h. What was teh flying speed from glasgoq to Halifax?



The Attempt at a Solution



Speed x Time = Distance

G-H x 4200/x 4200

H-G x+100 4200/(x+100) 4200

TOT 13h

4200/x + 4200/(x+100) = 13 x (x)(x+100)

4200(x+100) + 4200 (x) = (13)(x)(x+100) ...


I kept doing this but none of these type of problems turn out right with me.

Oh, at first, looking at your post, it seems like a mess, and I have to quote it for easier reading. If you want to post things that needs "columns", and "rows", you can use the CODE tag, it's the sharp sign (i.e, #), it'll be much clearer. Like this:

The Attempt at a Solution



Code:
             Speed    x   Time     =     Distance

G-H         x             4200/x           4200

H-G         x+100      4200/(x+100)        4200

TOT                         13h

See? :)

Back to your problem, the reddened line is wrong. It should have read:

4200/x + 4200/(x+100) = 13

Then, we multiply both sides by x(x + 100) to obtain your last line:

4200(x + 100) + 4200x = 13 x(x + 100)

Now, just expand everything out, isolate them to one side, and it's just a quadratic equation. :)
 

1. What is the difference between speed and velocity?

Speed refers to the rate at which an object moves, while velocity is the speed of an object in a particular direction. In other words, velocity takes into account both the speed and direction of an object's motion.

2. Can an object have a high speed but low velocity?

Yes, an object can have a high speed but low velocity if it is moving in a straight line and changes direction frequently. For example, a car driving on a winding road may have a high speed, but its velocity will be low as it changes direction often.

3. How is distance different from displacement?

Distance is the total length of the path an object has traveled, while displacement is the straight-line distance from the starting point to the ending point of an object's motion. Displacement takes into account the direction of an object's motion, while distance does not.

4. What is the formula for calculating speed?

The formula for speed is distance divided by time. This can be written as: speed = distance/time.

5. How do you convert between different units of speed?

To convert from kilometers per hour (km/h) to meters per second (m/s), multiply the speed in km/h by 0.2778. To convert from miles per hour (mph) to meters per second (m/s), multiply the speed in mph by 0.447. To convert from meters per second (m/s) to kilometers per hour (km/h), multiply the speed in m/s by 3.6.

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