Will Doug Make His 273-Mile Delivery in 5 Hours at 55 mph? Math Problem

Question

Doug has 5 hours to make an on-time delivery 273 miles away. Doug drives at a constant speed of 55 miles per hour. Will Doug make the delivery by the deadline? Explain.

Accepted Answer

No, Doug will not make the delivery by the deadline.

Answer

Step 1: Calculate the total distance Doug can travel in 5 hours using the formula: Distance = Speed × Time Step 2: Substitute the given values: Distance = 55 mph × 5 h = 275 miles Step 3: Compare the distance Doug can travel (275 miles) to the delivery distance (273 miles). Wait, correction: Wait, 55*5=275, but 275 is greater than 273? No, wait no—wait, 55*5=275, 275>273, but wait, no, wait 55*5=275, 273 is less than 275, so he can make it? Wait no, wait 55*5=275, 273 is less than 275, so he can travel 275 miles in 5 hours, which is more than 273. Wait, no, wait 55*5=275, 273<275, so he will arrive early. Wait, no, wait 55*5=275, yes. Wait, let's recalculate: 50*5=250, 5*5=25, 250+25=275. 275>273, so he can make it. Wait, the initial mistake was wrong. Correct step 3: Compare 275 miles (distance he can travel) to 273 miles (delivery distance). Since 275 > 273, Doug can travel the required distance in less than 5 hours, so he will make the delivery on time. Wait, no, wait 273/55=4.96 hours, which is less than 5 hours. So correct answer is yes. Step 4: Alternatively, calculate the time needed to travel 273 miles: Time = Distance / Speed = 273 / 55 ≈ 4.96 hours, which is less than 5 hours, so Doug will arrive before the deadline.