1958 AMC 12 Problem 24

Attempt Problem 24 of the 1958 AMC 12 below, then check your answer against the professionally curated solution from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 1958 AMC 12 solutions, or check the answer key.

All problems are used with official legal permission of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).

24.

A man travels mm feet due north at 22 minutes per mile. He returns due south to his starting point at 22 miles per minute. The average rate in miles per hour for the entire trip is:
7575
4848
4545
2424
impossible to determine without knowing the value of mm
Answer: B
Concepts:distance rate and timeunit conversionharmonic mean
Small hint:
Convert both stated rates to miles per hour
Big hint:
For equal distances, divide twice the one-way distance by the sum of the two travel times
Solution:
The northbound rate is 3030 mph, and the southbound rate is 120120 mph. For equal distances, the round-trip average is 2(30)(120)30+120=48 mph. \frac{2(30)(120)}{30+120}=48\text{ mph}. The distance mm cancels.
Therefore, the correct answer is B.
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