Round trip word problem

Question

A round trip flight took 5 hours flying time. The plane traveled the 720 miles to the city at 295 mph with no wind. How strong was the wind on the return flight? Was the wind a head wind or tail wind?

Answer 1

Hi Isabelle,

 

First lets find the time it took to get there

 

Distance = Speed * time

 

720 = 295 * t

 

t = 720/295 = 2.440678

 

We can now find the time of the return flight

 

5 - t   is the time of the return flight

 

5 - 2.440678 = 2.559322

 

distance = speed * time  (we can now find the speed

 

720 = speed * 2.559322

 

speed = 720/2.559322

 

speed = 281.3245 mph

 

therefore the wind on the return trip reduce the original speed and was a head wind

 

295 - 281.3245 = 13.6755  mph          (head wind

 

Hope this helps