Solve the problem.
-Tom Quig traveled 270 miles east of St. Louis. For most of the trip he averaged 60 mph, but for one period of time he was slowed to 10 mph due to a major accident. If the total time of travel was 7
Hours, how many miles did he drive at the reduced speed?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Let $ x $ be the distance Tom drove at 10 mph. Then, the distance he drove at 60 mph is $ 270 - x $ miles. The time spent driving at 10 mph is $ \frac{x}{10} $ hours, and the time spent driving at 60 mph is $ \frac{270 - x}{60} $ hours. The total time is 7 hours, so we have the equation:$$ \frac{x}{10} + \frac{270 - x}{60} = 7 $$Multiplying every term by 60 to clear the denominators gives:$$ 6x + 270 - x = 420 $$Solving for $ x $ gives:$$ 5x = 150 $$$$ x = 30 $$Therefore, Tom drove 30 miles at the reduced speed.

Solve the Problem. -Tom Quig Traveled 270 Miles East of St. Louis. for St