Math  /  Algebra

QuestionGot It? 4. Pacific gray whales migrate annually from the waters near Alaska to the waters near Baja California, Mexico, and back. The whales travel a distance of about 5000 mi each way at an average rate of 91 mi per day. About how many days does it take the whales to migrate one way? PowerAlgebra.com Lesson 2-5 Literal Equations and Formulas

Studdy Solution

STEP 1

What is this asking? How many days does it take a whale to swim 5000 miles if it swims 91 miles each day? Watch out! Don't mix up the distance and the speed!

STEP 2

1. Set up the relationship between distance, speed, and time.
2. Calculate the time.

STEP 3

Alright, awesome students, let's **define** our variables!
We'll use dd for the **total distance**, rr for the whale's **average speed**, and tt for the **time** it takes.

STEP 4

The relationship between distance, speed, and time is given by the formula: d=rtd = r \cdot t This tells us that the **total distance** is equal to the **rate** multiplied by the **time**.
Makes sense, right?
The farther you go and the faster you go, the more time you'll need!

STEP 5

We're given that d=5000d = 5000 mi and r=91r = 91 mi/day.
We want to find tt.
Let's **plug in** these values: 5000=91t5000 = 91 \cdot t

STEP 6

Now, we want to **isolate** tt to find the time.
To do this, we'll **divide both sides** of the equation by the whale's speed, which is 9191.
Remember, dividing both sides of an equation by the same number keeps the equation balanced! 500091=91t91 \frac{5000}{91} = \frac{91 \cdot t}{91}

STEP 7

On the right side, the 9191 in the numerator and the 9191 in the denominator effectively divide to one, leaving us with: 500091=t \frac{5000}{91} = t

STEP 8

Now, let's **calculate** the value of tt: t54.95 t \approx 54.95 So, it takes the whales approximately **55 days** to migrate one way.

STEP 9

It takes the whales approximately **55 days** to complete their one-way migration.

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