Hazel is on the track team at her high school and is tracking the speed of her runs during the off season. Last Monday, Hazel ran 5.4 miles in 45 minutes, whereas last Friday she ran 4.3 miles in 29 minutes. What was Hazel's average speed over the two runs?

Write your answer as a whole number or as a decimal rounded to the nearest tenth.
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1 answer

To calculate Hazel's average speed over the two runs, we need to find the total distance she covered and the total time she spent running.

Step 1: Calculate total distance.

  • Distance from last Monday: 5.4 miles
  • Distance from last Friday: 4.3 miles

Total distance: \[ 5.4 \text{ miles} + 4.3 \text{ miles} = 9.7 \text{ miles} \]

Step 2: Calculate total time.

  • Time from last Monday: 45 minutes
  • Time from last Friday: 29 minutes

Total time: \[ 45 \text{ minutes} + 29 \text{ minutes} = 74 \text{ minutes} \]

Step 3: Convert the total time into hours. Since speed is typically measured in miles per hour (mph), we need to convert minutes into hours: \[ 74 \text{ minutes} = \frac{74}{60} \text{ hours} \approx 1.2333 \text{ hours} \]

Step 4: Calculate average speed. Average speed is given by the formula: \[ \text{Average speed} = \frac{\text{Total distance}}{\text{Total time}} \]

Applying the numbers: \[ \text{Average speed} = \frac{9.7 \text{ miles}}{1.2333 \text{ hours}} \approx 7.86 \text{ mph} \]

Step 5: Round the average speed to the nearest tenth. Rounding 7.86 to the nearest tenth gives: \[ \text{Average speed} \approx 7.9 \text{ mph} \]

Thus, Hazel's average speed over the two runs is 7.9 mph.