Finding average speed & distance traveled?

AI Thread Summary
To find the average speed and distance traveled, calculate the distance for each segment of Sally's trip using the formula d = vt, where v is speed and t is time. After determining the distances for each segment, sum them to get the total distance. The total time includes both driving and the 10 minutes spent on lunch and gas. Finally, use the average speed formula, avg. speed = total distance / total time, to find the correct average speed. This approach ensures accurate calculations without assuming equal speeds.
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Homework Statement



Sally travels by car from one city to another. She drives for 30.0 min at 52.0 km/h, 35.0 min at 48.0 km/h, and 23.0 min at 50.0 km/h, and she spends 10.0 min eating lunch and buying gas.


Homework Equations



avg. speed= distance traveled / time of travel



The Attempt at a Solution



first, I added all three speeds (52+48+50) and divided by 3. I got 50 as the average speed, but the website says I'm incorrect.

How can I find the average speed without the distance traveled?

avg. speed = distance traveled / (30+35+23)
avg. speed = distance traveled / 88
 
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I don't think you can find the average speed without first finding the distance!
It shouldn't be hard to work out the distances - just use d = vt for each. Get the total distance and the total time, then use the "relevant equation".
 
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