find the distance between two cities

Question

Plane flies from Seattle to Orlando at 523 mph and the reverse flight is at 425 mph. If the whole round trip  is 11 hours how many miles apart are Orlando and Seattle to the nearest mile?

Answer 1

 

d=r*t (distance=rate*time)

d=523*t

d=425*(11-t)

523t=425(11-t)

523t=4675-425t

523t+425t=4675

948t=4675

t=4675/948

t=4.931434 hours

11-t=11-4.931434=6.06856 hours

523*4.931434=2579.14 miles, or

425*6.06856=2579.14 miles

Orlando and Seattle are 2,579 miles apart

Answer 2

D = R * T

 

D = 523 T1 = 425 T2

 

T1 + T2 = 11 hours

 

D/523 + D/425 = 11

 

D(1/523 + 1/425) = 11

 

D = 11/(1/523 + 1/425)

 

D = 11*523*425/(425 + 523)

 

D = 11*523*425/948 ≈ 2,579 miles

 

Google says the shortest flight distance between Seattle and Orlando is 2,553 miles. Knowing that, could we calculate an assumed constant headwind speed?

Answer 3

 d = s t       / d = distance , s = speed , t = time.

 

  d = (1/ 523 +1/ 425) miles/hr = 11 hrs

  

    d =  11/ ( 1/523 + 1/425) = 2,579 miles.