on a recent space shuttle mission the astronauts traveled 105,000 miles during the first 3 days of their mission. this distance was 5/8 of the total distance they would travel. what was the total distance the astronauts would travel?
Solve for x.
(5/8)x = 105,000
168000 miles
because 105000 divided by 5/8 = 168000
To find the total distance the astronauts would travel, we can set up a proportion using the given information. Let's call the total distance they would travel "D".
We have two ratios:
1) The distance traveled in the first 3 days (105,000 miles) is to the total distance (D) as 5/8 is to 1.
2) The ratio of 105,000 miles to 5/8 is 1.
Setting up the proportion:
105,000 / D = 5/8 / 1
To solve this proportion, we can cross-multiply:
105,000 * 1 = 5/8 * D
105,000 = 5/8 * D
Now, to isolate D, we divide both sides of the equation by 5/8:
105,000 / (5/8) = D
To divide by a fraction, we multiply by the reciprocal:
105,000 * (8/5) = D
168,000 = D
Therefore, the total distance the astronauts would travel is 168,000 miles.