Scientists are preparing two satellites to be launched. The graph below represents the number of miles, yy, that the satellite, Space Explorer A, flies in xx hours.

0
Hours
Miles
x
y
0
Hours
Miles
(5,34000)
(10,68000)
Space Explorer A
The table below represents the number of miles, yy, that the satellite, Space Explorer B, flies in xx hours.
Space Explorer B
Hours left parenthesis x right parenthesisHours (x) Miles left parenthesis y right parenthesisMiles (y)
77 1540015400
1616 3520035200
2323 5060050600
2525 5500055000
How many fewer miles does Space Explorer B travel in one hour than Space Explorer A?

1 answer

To find out how many fewer miles Space Explorer B travels in one hour than Space Explorer A, we first need to determine the speeds (miles per hour) for each satellite.

For Space Explorer A:

From the graph, we can see that:

  • At 5 hours, Space Explorer A travels 34,000 miles.
  • At 10 hours, Space Explorer A travels 68,000 miles.

To find the speed of Space Explorer A, we can calculate the distance per hour:

  1. Distance traveled from 5 to 10 hours: \[ 68,000 - 34,000 = 34,000 \text{ miles} \]

  2. Time taken: \[ 10 - 5 = 5 \text{ hours} \]

  3. Speed of Space Explorer A: \[ \text{Speed} = \frac{\text{Distance}}{\text{Time}} = \frac{34,000 \text{ miles}}{5 \text{ hours}} = 6,800 \text{ miles per hour} \]

For Space Explorer B:

Using the provided table, we can calculate the speed of Space Explorer B for different time intervals:

  • From 0 to 7 hours: \[ \text{Distance} = 1,5400 \text{ miles} \] \[ \text{Speed} = \frac{15400 \text{ miles}}{7 \text{ hours}} = 2,200 \text{ miles per hour} \]

  • From 7 to 16 hours: \[ \text{Distance} = 35,200 - 15,400 = 20,800 \text{ miles} \] \[ \text{Speed} = \frac{20,800 \text{ miles}}{9 \text{ hours}} \approx 2,311.11 \text{ miles per hour} \]

  • From 16 to 23 hours: \[ \text{Distance} = 50,600 - 35,200 = 15,400 \text{ miles} \] \[ \text{Speed} = \frac{15,400 \text{ miles}}{7 \text{ hours}} \approx 2,200 \text{ miles per hour} \]

  • From 23 to 25 hours: \[ \text{Distance} = 55,000 - 50,600 = 4,400 \text{ miles} \] \[ \text{Speed} = \frac{4,400 \text{ miles}}{2 \text{ hours}} = 2,200 \text{ miles per hour} \]

Comparing Speeds:

The average speed of Space Explorer B ranges from 2,200 to approximately 2,311.11 miles per hour.

Conclusion:

Now we can find out how many fewer miles Space Explorer B travels in one hour than Space Explorer A.

  1. Space Explorer A speed: 6,800 miles/hour
  2. Space Explorer B speed: 2,200 miles/hour (using the first average for simplicity)

Difference: \[ 6,800 - 2,200 = 4,600 \text{ miles} \]

Thus, Space Explorer B travels 4,600 fewer miles than Space Explorer A in one hour.