A certain distance is covered by a cyclist at a certain speed. If a jogger covers half the distance in double the time, the ratio of the speed of the jogger to that of the cyclist is :
Aptitude
Time and Distance
Difficulty: Medium
Choose an option
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A1 : 2
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B2 : 1
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C1 : 4
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D4 : 1
Answer
Correct Answer: 1 : 4
Explanation
### Concept & Formula
Speed is directly proportional to distance and inversely proportional to time. To find a ratio of speeds, substitute the relative distances and times into the speed formula.
$$Speed = \frac{Distance}{Time}$$
### Step-by-Step Solution
1. **Define Cyclist Variables:**
* Let the distance covered by the cyclist be $D$.
* Let the time taken by the cyclist be $T$.
* Speed of cyclist, $S_c = \frac{D}{T}$.
2. **Define Jogger Variables:**
* Distance covered by jogger = $\frac{D}{2}$ (half the distance).
* Time taken by jogger = $2T$ (double the time).
* Speed of jogger, $S_j = \frac{\frac{D}{2}}{2T} = \frac{D}{4T}$.
3. **Calculate the Ratio:**
* Ratio = $S_j : S_c$
* Ratio = $\frac{D}{4T} : \frac{D}{T}$
* Cancel out the common $\frac{D}{T}$ term.
* Ratio = $\frac{1}{4} : 1$
* Multiply by $4$ to clear the fraction: $1 : 4$.
### Exam Strategy & Shortcut
Use fractional multipliers directly on the speed formula $S = \frac{D}{T}$.
For the jogger, Distance is $\times \frac{1}{2}$ and Time is $\times 2$.
So, new Speed multiplier = $\frac{\frac{1}{2}}{2} = \frac{1}{4}$. The jogger is $\frac{1}{4}$ the speed of the cyclist, meaning the ratio is $1:4$.
### Common Pitfall
Mixing up the order of the ratio. The question asks for "jogger to cyclist", which is $1:4$. Reversing it to $4:1$ is a very common error.
### Final Answer
Therefore, the correct answer is **1 : 4**.