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Question

An albatross can sleep while flying 25 mi/h. An albatross flew 3 miles awake and another n hours asleep at 25 mi/h. Write an algebraic expression to find the distance flown.

Answer 1

We know that the albatros flew 3 miles awake and moved at a rate of 25m/h while asleep, and he flew for n hours while he was asleep.

 

We need to know the total distance flown

 

we can represent this as

3 + distance flown while asleep

 

in order to get the distance flown while asleep we need to multiply rate time time flown. This would be n * 25 m/h

 

so the final answer is:

 

distance = 3 + 25n

 

This makes sense because n hours causes the hours to cancel out and you are left with just the distance flown while asleep. You can also see how this works if you plug in a number for n. For example, let's say the albatross flew 1 hour while asleep. We plug in one for n:

 

25 x 1 = 25 So he flew 25 miles while asleep

 

Distance= 3 + 25(1) 

Distance = 28 miles

Answer 2

Distance = speed * time

 

total distance = 3 + 25n

 

thats your expression