Last visit was: 30 Dec 2024, 08:02 It is currently 30 Dec 2024, 08:02

Close

GRE Prep Club Daily Prep

Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GRE score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.

Close

Request Expert Reply

Confirm Cancel
Verbal Expert
Joined: 18 Apr 2015
Posts: 30554
Own Kudos [?]: 36906 [2]
Given Kudos: 26108
Send PM
avatar
Director
Director
Joined: 03 Sep 2017
Posts: 518
Own Kudos [?]: 708 [0]
Given Kudos: 0
Send PM
avatar
Intern
Intern
Joined: 28 Feb 2018
Posts: 30
Own Kudos [?]: 3 [0]
Given Kudos: 0
Send PM
avatar
Manager
Manager
Joined: 15 Feb 2018
Posts: 53
Own Kudos [?]: 34 [3]
Given Kudos: 0
Send PM
Re: Tavi drives 113 miles at 50 miles per hour and returns [#permalink]
3
1st leg: t1 = 113/50
2nd leg: t2 = 113/60

Total time = t1 + t2 = 113/50 + 113/60

Average speed for the round trip = Total distance/Total time = (113 + 113)/(113/50 + 113/60) = 54.5 mph < 55 mph.

So Ans: B
avatar
Manager
Manager
Joined: 22 Feb 2018
Posts: 163
Own Kudos [?]: 215 [0]
Given Kudos: 0
Send PM
Re: Tavi drives 113 miles at 50 miles per hour and returns [#permalink]
1
correct: B
route = 113 miles (50 miles / hour) 113/50 hours
return_route = 113 miles (60 miles /hour) 113 / 60 hours
his average speed is: total miles passed / total time passed = (113 + 113)/ (113/50 + 113/60) = 226 * 300/ 1243 = 54.4
average_speed = 54.4 miles per hour
so B is bigger than A
avatar
Intern
Intern
Joined: 27 Jan 2019
Posts: 29
Own Kudos [?]: 55 [2]
Given Kudos: 0
Send PM
Re: Tavi drives 113 miles at 50 miles per hour and returns [#permalink]
2
Quick Solution.

Since Tavi spent more time driving at 50 mph than he did at 60 mph. His average speed must be closer to 50 than to 60. His average speed cannot be 55 since the amount of time he spent driving at each speed is different so. if he had spent the same amount of time at each speed then his average for the entire trip would have been 55 mph. So, here Qty B is greater than A.
Senior Manager
Senior Manager
Joined: 17 Aug 2019
Posts: 381
Own Kudos [?]: 203 [0]
Given Kudos: 96
Send PM
Re: Tavi drives 113 miles at 50 miles per hour and returns [#permalink]
IlCreatore wrote:
Here is the trick, the average speed is not computed as a usual average, which would have lead to a wrong answer (C).

It is computed as \(\bar{speed} = \frac{distance_1+distance_2}{time_1+time_2}\). In our case, the distances are equal since the trip is one way and the other, i.e. 113 + 113 = 226 miles, while the time spent is computed as 113/50 = 2.6 hours and 113/60 = 1.883 hours. Substituting in the formula the average speed is 50.41.

Answer B


113/50=2.26 not 2.6.
User avatar
Senior Manager
Senior Manager
Joined: 10 Feb 2020
Posts: 496
Own Kudos [?]: 356 [0]
Given Kudos: 299
Send PM
Re: Tavi drives 113 miles at 50 miles per hour and returns [#permalink]
If the distance is same and speeds are different then you can use this easy formula to compute avg speed:
Avg Speed = 2ab/a+b
where a and b are speeds.
2(50)(60)/50+60
Answer is 54.5 so Quantity B is greater.
avatar
Manager
Manager
Joined: 19 Mar 2018
Posts: 64
Own Kudos [?]: 38 [0]
Given Kudos: 0
Send PM
Re: Tavi drives 113 miles at 50 miles per hour and returns [#permalink]
We essentially need average time to get average speed

113/50 = 2.26 (t1)
113/60 = 1.8 (t2)

=1.8 + 2.26 = 4.14
Aveg time = 4.14/2 = 2.07

Aveg Speed = 113/2.07 = 54.5
Thus its lesser than 55, ans B

Kudos please! :-D
Intern
Intern
Joined: 01 Oct 2022
Posts: 3
Own Kudos [?]: 1 [0]
Given Kudos: 2
Send PM
Re: Tavi drives 113 miles at 50 miles per hour and returns [#permalink]
Is the OA correct?
113/50= 2.26
113/60= 1.88

Total time is 4.14
226 divided by 4.14 is 54.58 which is less than 55

But if I take only 2.2 and 1.8 as the times the total time is 4
which when dividing 226 gives 56.5 which is more than 55
Verbal Expert
Joined: 18 Apr 2015
Posts: 30554
Own Kudos [?]: 36906 [0]
Given Kudos: 26108
Send PM
Re: Tavi drives 113 miles at 50 miles per hour and returns [#permalink]
Expert Reply
The OA is correct

His speed is between 50 and 60. If you average 50+60/2=55 and the answer would be C. But we cannot simply average the two because the return is faster than the first stretch, which is at 50 mph.

we can use the weighted average concept.

Being the speed between 50 and 60 but because the first stretch is slower we do know that his speed average is NOT 55 but smaller. It does not matter if it is 54.9 or 22.3.

It MUST be < 55.

B is the answer
User avatar
GRE Prep Club Legend
GRE Prep Club Legend
Joined: 07 Jan 2021
Posts: 5094
Own Kudos [?]: 76 [0]
Given Kudos: 0
Send PM
Re: Tavi drives 113 miles at 50 miles per hour and returns [#permalink]
Hello from the GRE Prep Club BumpBot!

Thanks to another GRE Prep Club member, I have just discovered this valuable topic, yet it had no discussion for over a year. I am now bumping it up - doing my job. I think you may find it valuable (esp those replies with Kudos).

Want to see all other topics I dig out? Follow me (click follow button on profile). You will receive a summary of all topics I bump in your profile area as well as via email.
Prep Club for GRE Bot
Re: Tavi drives 113 miles at 50 miles per hour and returns [#permalink]
Moderators:
GRE Instructor
88 posts
GRE Forum Moderator
37 posts
Moderator
1116 posts
GRE Instructor
234 posts

Powered by phpBB © phpBB Group | Emoji artwork provided by EmojiOne