Abdul, while driving to school, computes the average speed for his trip to be . On his return trip along the same route, there is less traffic and the average speed is . What is the average speed for Abdul's trip?
Step 1: Given Data
Average speed when going,
Average speed when returning,
Step 2: Determine the time taken when going
Let the total distance be and it will be equal for both the trips.
Let the time taken when going be
Therefore, the time taken will be
Step 3: Determine the time taken when returning
Let the time taken when returning be
Therefore, the time taken will be
Step 4: Determine the total time taken
The total time taken is,
Step 5: Determine the average speed
The total distance will be
Average speed is given by,
Therefore, the average speed for Abdul's trip is .