Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: 8 hrs
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:Compute leg times with effective upstream and downstream speeds and sum them to get the total duration.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:Total time = 22.5/7.5 + 22.5/4.5 (hours).
Step-by-Step Solution:
Downstream time = 22.5 / 7.5 = 3 hUpstream time = 22.5 / 4.5 = 5 hTotal = 3 + 5 = 8 hVerification / Alternative check:All values align with b ± c; no inconsistencies appear.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:Any other total would not match both leg computations given the fixed speeds and distance.
Common Pitfalls:Averaging the two speeds to get a single speed for the round trip is invalid; use time per leg instead.
Final Answer:8 hrs.
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