Motion, Work, and

Mixtures
Lesson 5

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 Motion
Motion problems can be solved with the following formula:

𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 = 𝑆𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑 × 𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒

Average speed for different segments is a weighted average, where the weight is time, NOT distance.

𝐴 𝑑1 𝐵 𝑑2 𝐶
𝑡1 𝑠1 𝑡2 𝑠2

𝑠1 × 𝑡1 + 𝑠2 × 𝑡2 𝑑1 + 𝑑2 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒
𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑆𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑 = = =
𝑡1 + 𝑡2 𝑡1 + 𝑡2 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒

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Example:

A car travels from City A to City B at a constant speed of 30 kilometers per hour. Upon arriving to city B, the
car travels to city C at a constant speed of 50 kilometers per hour. If the distance between City A and City B
is the same as the distance between City B and City C, what was the average speed of the car for the entire
trip?

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In some of these problems, you will be asked to transform units, like miles, kilometers, hour, minutes,
feet, inches, etc.

The conversions that are not obvious (like 1 minute = 60 seconds) will be given to you.

Example:

Express the speed of 1760 feet per minute as miles per hour. (1 mile = 5280 feet)

𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑡 1 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑒 60 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑡𝑒𝑠 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑠

1760 × × = 20
𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑡𝑒 5280 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑡 1 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟

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Problems with two objects traveling towards each other:

𝐴 𝑆𝐴 𝑆𝐵 𝐵 𝑑
𝑡=
𝑆𝐴 + 𝑆𝐵
𝑑

𝐴 𝐵 𝑑
𝑆𝐴 𝑆𝐵 𝑡=
𝑆𝐴 − 𝑆𝐵
𝑑

In the second case, the distance considered is only the distance that separates the
objects at the beginning, not the distance that they travel.

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 Work
Work problems are similar to motion problems. Instead of distance, we use work:
𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒌 = 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒆 × 𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒆
When two or more persons or machines are working at the same time on a job, we can add the rates:

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Example:
Machine A can complete a certain job in 3 hours. If Machine B can complete the same job in 5 hours, how
2
many minutes will it take both machines, working simultaneously, to complete of the job?
5

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 Mixtures
Mixtures problems are solved with Weighted Average and Proportions.
Value Weight
4 liters of a solution that is 25% alcohol 25% 4
5 liters of a solution that is 40% alcohol 40% 5
7 liters of a solution that is pure alcohol 100% 7
9 liters of water 0% 9

25 40 100 0
× 4 + × 5 + × 7 + ×9 40
𝑁𝑒𝑤 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 = 100 100 100 100 =
4+5+7+9 100

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Question 1

Paul runs from his home to the grocery store at an average speed of 8 miles per hour, and
then walks home along the same route at an average speed of 4 miles per hour. If his whole
journey took 45 minutes, how many miles is his home from the store?

o8
o6
o4
o3
o2

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Question 2

Machine R and machine S work at their respective constant rates. How much time does it
take machine R, working alone, to complete a certain job?

7
(1) The amount of time that it takes machine S, working alone, to complete the job is of
4
the amount of time that it takes machine S and machine R, working together, to complete
the job.
(2) Machine S, working alone, take 28 minutes to complete the job.

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Question 3

Solution X is 45 percent chemical A and 55 percent chemical B, by volume; solution Y is 20

percent chemical A and 80 percent chemical C. If a mixture of solutions X and Y contains 30
percent chemical A, what percent of the volume of the mixture is solution Y?

o 10%
1
o 33 %
3
o 40%
o 60%
2
o 66 %
3

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Question 4

Paul is driving in a straight track heading east at a constant speed of 52 kilometers per hour
and he passes certain street lamp. If half an hour later and traveling in the same direction,
Peter passes the same street lamp while driving at a constant speed of 76 kilometers per
hour, how long after Peter passed the street lamp did he catch up with Paul?

o 50 minutes
o 1 hour 5 minutes
o 1 hour 15 minutes
o 1 hour 20 minutes
o 1 hour 45 minutes

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Question 5

Bob does a certain job in 9 hours, and Carl does the half of the same job in 3 hours. If Bob
and Carl do the job together at the same time, what percent of the job was done by Bob?

o 15%
o 20%
o 40%
o 50%
o 60%

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Question 6

A tank contains 1,000 gallons of a solution that is 5 percent hydrogen peroxide by volume. If
250 gallons of water evaporate from the tank, the remaining solution will be approximately
what percent hydrogen peroxide?

o 1.25%
o 3.75%
o 6.25%
o 6.67%
o 11.7%

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Question 8

On a recent trip, what was Daniel’s average speed at which he drove 𝑥 miles?

(1) 𝑥 = 90
𝑥
(2) He drove miles at an average speed of 60 miles per hour and the drove the remaining
3
2𝑥
at an average speed of 50 miles per hour.
3

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Question 9

One fourth of a solution that was 67 percent sugar by weight was replaced by a second
solution resulting in a solution that was 71 percent sugar by weight. The second solution
was what percent sugar by weight?

o 68%
o 70%
o 73%
o 83%
o 87%

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Answers
1) E
2) C
3) D
4) B
5) C
6) D
7) C
8) B
9) D

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