Question

A zebra runs 15 miles per hour faster than an elephant. The zebra runs 8 miles in
the same time that an elephant runs 5 miles. Write and solve an equation to
calculate the speed of each animal.

Answer 1

Answer:

elephant:  25 mph; zebra:  40 mph

Step-by-step explanation:

The time required is the same in each case, so we need to set up an equation of the form distance1/speed1 = distance2/speed2:

8 miles                  5 miles

------------- = time = -------------

 speedz                 speede

From this we get:

        8                      5

------------------ = -------------------

speede + 15       speede

Cross multiplying, we get:  8(speed e) = 5(speede) + 75, or

3(speede) = 75, or

speede = 25 mph

Then speedz = 25 mph + 15 mph = 40 mph = speedz