Determine the Boat's Speed Over 50 km After an Initial 40-Minute Journey

Question

The average speed of a boat is 45 km/h.

At the beginning of the voyage, the boat covers a distance of 30 km in 40 minutes.

What was the speed of the boat over the next 50 km?

Video Solution

Step-by-Step Solution

To address this problem, let's follow these steps:

  • Step 1: Calculate the speed for the first segment of the journey.
  • Step 2: Use the overall average speed to find the total time required for the entire voyage.
  • Step 3: Determine the time available for the second segment and calculate the required speed.

Step 1: For the first segment, the distance is 3030 km, and the time taken is 4040 minutes, which is 4060=23 \frac{40}{60} = \frac{2}{3} hours. Thus, the speed for the first segment is:

Speed1=30 km23 hours=45 km/h \text{Speed}_1 = \frac{30 \text{ km}}{\frac{2}{3} \text{ hours}} = 45 \text{ km/h}

Step 2: Since the average speed for the entire trip is 4545 km/h, let's find the total time required for both segments. The total distance is 30+50=8030 + 50 = 80 km. Thus, the total time required is:

Total Time=80 km45 km/h=169 hours \text{Total Time} = \frac{80 \text{ km}}{45 \text{ km/h}} = \frac{16}{9} \text{ hours}

Step 3: The first segment took 23\frac{2}{3} hours. Hence, the time available for the second segment of 5050 km is:

Time2=16923=16969=109 hours \text{Time}_2 = \frac{16}{9} - \frac{2}{3} = \frac{16}{9} - \frac{6}{9} = \frac{10}{9} \text{ hours}

Therefore, the speed required for the second segment is:

Speed2=50 km109 hours=45 km/h \text{Speed}_2 = \frac{50 \text{ km}}{\frac{10}{9} \text{ hours}} = 45 \text{ km/h}

Thus, the speed of the boat over the next 50 km is 45 45 km/h.

Answer

45 45 km/h