Can anyone help with an average speed problem?

In summary, a racing team of 3 drivers drove a 24 hour event in shifts, with the first driver covering one fourth of the race at an average speed of 140km/hr, the second driver covering one third of the race at an average speed of 170 km/hr, and the last driver covering the remainder of the race at 160 km/hr. To find the average speed of the team, you can use a weighted average calculation by multiplying each speed by the corresponding fraction of time spent driving and then adding them together. Alternatively, you can calculate the total distance and time and then divide to find the average speed.
  • #1
wtp08
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Homework Statement



A racing team of 3 drivers drove a 24 hour event in shifts. The first driver drove only one fourth of the race but averaged 140km/hr. The second driver drove one third of the race at an average speed of 170 km/hr. The last driver drove the remainder of the race at 160 km/hr. What was the average speed of the team?

Homework Equations


I do not know how to set up the problem in order to find average speed since there is no specific distance


The Attempt at a Solution


 
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  • #2
Well, this is kind of an odd question. I would think that a weighted average could work. E.g. multiply the first speed by 1/4, the second by 1/3, and the third by 5/12. Then add these numbers together. See if that gives you the right answer, I'm not entirely sure.
 
  • #3
You have the total time: T=24h
Then, t1=[itex]\frac{1}{4}[/itex]T=6h
t2=[itex]\frac{1}{3}[/itex]T=8h
t3=[itex]\frac{5}{12}[/itex]T=10h

The distance of each shift:
d1=v1*t1
d2=v2*t2
d3=v3*t3

Now you have the total distance and the total time, so you can calculate the average speed.
 

Related to Can anyone help with an average speed problem?

1. How do I calculate average speed?

To calculate average speed, divide the total distance traveled by the total time it took to travel that distance. This will give you the average speed in units of distance per time (e.g. miles per hour).

2. What information do I need to solve an average speed problem?

In order to solve an average speed problem, you will need to know the total distance traveled and the total time it took to travel that distance. This information can be given to you or can be calculated based on other information provided.

3. How do I convert between different units of speed?

To convert between different units of speed (e.g. from miles per hour to kilometers per hour), you can use conversion factors. For example, to convert from miles per hour to kilometers per hour, multiply the speed in miles per hour by 1.60934.

4. Can I use average speed to calculate the time it will take to travel a certain distance?

Yes, you can use average speed to calculate the time it will take to travel a certain distance. Simply divide the distance by the average speed to get the time it will take to travel that distance.

5. What should I do if I encounter a problem where the speed is not constant?

If the speed is not constant, you will need to use the equation for average speed over an interval of time: average speed = total distance / total time. However, you may also need to break the problem into smaller intervals and calculate the average speed for each interval separately.

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