The team practices in a pool that is 20 meters long. Sam completes a lap in 22.5 seconds. How long will it take Sam to complete a lap in an Olympic-sized competition pool that is 50 meters long if he swims at the same rate in both pools? (A lap consists of swimming from one end of the pool and back.) Show your work.

Please help me Ms Sue!

40/22.5 = 100/x

how do i solve for x

Cross multiply and divide.

40x = 2250

x = 2250/40

x = 56.25

I am getting confused. Can you please show the work with the number 50 instead of 40?

You'll learn more if you try it. I'll check your answer.

2300

That doesn't make sense when it only took 56 seconds to swim a lap in a 100-meter pool.

How did you get 2300? Please post your work so I can see what you did wrong.

The reason I wrote 2300 is because I honestly don't get this and I really need help.

50 meters is to 22.5 as 100 meters is to an unknown number of seconds.

The mathematical ratio is

50/22.5 = 100/x

Cross multiply.

50x = 2250

Now, divide both sides of the equation by 50.

x = 45 seconds

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another way to figure this:

Since it takes 22.5 seconds to swim 50 meters, it must take twice as long to swim twice that distance.

Thanks for all of the help. :D

I'm sorry if I wasted any of your time.