Calculate George's Average Speed: Journey Details of 82 km/h for 4 Hours and 70 km/h for 3 Hours

Average Speed with Break Time Included

A truck driven by George makes its journey in two parts.

In the first part, its speed is 82 km/h and it travels for 4 hours.

Then, George has a break at a petrol station for 20 minutes.

In the second part, George travels at a speed of 70 km/h for 3 hours.

What is his average speed?

❤️ Continue Your Math Journey!

We have hundreds of course questions with personalized recommendations + Account 100% premium

Step-by-step video solution

Watch the teacher solve the problem with clear explanations

Step-by-step written solution

Follow each step carefully to understand the complete solution
1

Understand the problem

A truck driven by George makes its journey in two parts.

In the first part, its speed is 82 km/h and it travels for 4 hours.

Then, George has a break at a petrol station for 20 minutes.

In the second part, George travels at a speed of 70 km/h for 3 hours.

What is his average speed?

2

Step-by-step solution

To solve this problem, we'll follow these steps:

  • Step 1: Calculate the distance for each part of the journey.
  • Step 2: Find the total distance traveled.
  • Step 3: Convert all time to hours and include the break time.
  • Step 4: Calculate the average speed using the formula for average speed.

Let's calculate each step:

Step 1: Calculate the distances:
For the first part of the journey:
Speed = 82 km/h, Time = 4 hours
Distance = Speed × Time = 82×4=328 82 \times 4 = 328 km

For the second part of the journey:
Speed = 70 km/h, Time = 3 hours
Distance = Speed × Time = 70×3=210 70 \times 3 = 210 km

Step 2: Total distance traveled:
Total Distance = Distance of first part + Distance of second part
Total Distance = 328+210=538 328 + 210 = 538 km

Step 3: Calculate total time including the break:
Total time driving = 4 hours (first part) + 3 hours (second part) = 7 hours

Break time = 20 minutes = 2060=13\frac{20}{60} = \frac{1}{3} hours

Total time = Driving time + Break time = 7+13=2237 + \frac{1}{3} = \frac{22}{3} hours

Step 4: Calculate the average speed:
Average speed vavg=Total distanceTotal timev_{avg} = \frac{\text{Total distance}}{\text{Total time}}
Average speed vavg=538223=538×322=538×322=161422v_{avg} = \frac{538}{\frac{22}{3}} = 538 \times \frac{3}{22} = \frac{538 \times 3}{22} = \frac{1614}{22}

Simplifying 161422\frac{1614}{22}: Average speed ≈ 73.36 73.36 km/h

Therefore, the average speed of George's truck for the entire journey, including the break, is 73.36 73.36 km/h.

3

Final Answer

73.36 73.36 km/h

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic
  • Formula: Average speed equals total distance divided by total time
  • Technique: Convert break time: 20 minutes = 13 \frac{1}{3} hour
  • Check: Total distance 538 km ÷ total time 223 \frac{22}{3} hours = 73.36 km/h ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors
  • Excluding break time from total time calculation
    Don't calculate average speed using only driving time (7 hours) = 76.86 km/h wrong answer! Break time counts as part of the total journey time. Always include all time periods including stops, breaks, and delays in your total time.

Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge with interactive questions

What is the average speed according to the data?

TravelTimekm/hDistance3122.570400100210400250

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

Why do I need to include the 20-minute break in my calculation?

+

Average speed measures the overall efficiency of the entire journey! The break is part of George's total travel time, so it must be included to get the true average speed from start to finish.

How do I convert 20 minutes to hours?

+

Divide by 60: 2060=13 \frac{20}{60} = \frac{1}{3} hour. Remember there are 60 minutes in 1 hour, so any minutes ÷ 60 gives you the decimal or fraction of an hour.

What's the difference between average speed and regular speed?

+

Regular speed is constant during one part of a journey. Average speed considers the entire journey - all distances and all time periods combined.

Can I just average the two speeds (82 + 70) ÷ 2?

+

No! That only works if you travel the same time at each speed. Since George traveled 4 hours at 82 km/h and 3 hours at 70 km/h, you must use total distance ÷ total time.

Why do I get a decimal answer instead of a whole number?

+

Real-world average speeds are often decimals! The calculation 161422=73.36... \frac{1614}{22} = 73.36... gives us a precise answer. Round to 2 decimal places for practical purposes.

🌟 Unlock Your Math Potential

Get unlimited access to all 18 Traffic Flow Problems questions, detailed video solutions, and personalized progress tracking.

📹

Unlimited Video Solutions

Step-by-step explanations for every problem

📊

Progress Analytics

Track your mastery across all topics

🚫

Ad-Free Learning

Focus on math without distractions

No credit card required • Cancel anytime

More Questions

Click on any question to see the complete solution with step-by-step explanations