Padding 7 miles upstream, Steven and his brother averaged 2 miles per hour. On the way back, their rate of speed was 3 1/2 miles per hour. How long did it take them to make the round trip?
since time = distance/speed, add the times:
7/2 + 7/3.5 = ?
53
To find the time it took Steven and his brother to make the round trip, we can use the formula:
Time = Distance / Rate
Let's calculate the time for each leg of the trip and then sum them to get the total time for the round trip.
First, let's find the time it took them to paddle 7 miles upstream at an average speed of 2 miles per hour:
Time upstream = Distance / Rate
Time upstream = 7 miles / 2 miles per hour
Time upstream = 3.5 hours
Next, let's find the time it took them to paddle 7 miles downstream at a speed of 3.5 miles per hour:
Time downstream = Distance / Rate
Time downstream = 7 miles / 3.5 miles per hour
Time downstream = 2 hours
Now, we can find the total time for the round trip by summing the time upstream and the time downstream:
Total time = Time upstream + Time downstream
Total time = 3.5 hours + 2 hours
Total time = 5.5 hours
So, it took Steven and his brother 5.5 hours to make the round trip.