Math Problem Statement

Question 7 options: Solve this problem.

In 1991, American sprinter Carl Lewis set a world record of 9.86 seconds for the 100-meter dash. A honeybee can fly the same distance in 20.706 seconds. How many times faster than a honeybee is Carl Lewis?

Solution

To find how many times faster Carl Lewis is than a honeybee, we need to compare their speeds. Speed is calculated as:

Speed=DistanceTime\text{Speed} = \frac{\text{Distance}}{\text{Time}}

Step 1: Calculate Carl Lewis's speed

The distance Carl Lewis runs is 100 meters, and the time he takes is 9.86 seconds.

Carl Lewis’s speed=1009.8610.14m/s\text{Carl Lewis's speed} = \frac{100}{9.86} \approx 10.14 \, \text{m/s}

Step 2: Calculate the honeybee's speed

The distance the honeybee flies is also 100 meters, and the time it takes is 20.706 seconds.

Honeybee’s speed=10020.7064.83m/s\text{Honeybee's speed} = \frac{100}{20.706} \approx 4.83 \, \text{m/s}

Step 3: Find how many times faster Carl Lewis is

Now, we divide Carl Lewis's speed by the honeybee's speed:

Carl Lewis’s speedHoneybee’s speed=10.144.832.1\frac{\text{Carl Lewis's speed}}{\text{Honeybee's speed}} = \frac{10.14}{4.83} \approx 2.1

Final Answer:

Carl Lewis is approximately 2.1 times faster than a honeybee.


Would you like more details on any step? Here are some related questions to explore:

  1. How would the result change if Carl Lewis ran 110 meters instead of 100?
  2. What is the speed of a cheetah over the same distance compared to Carl Lewis?
  3. How much faster would Carl Lewis need to run to break the 9.5-second barrier?
  4. If Carl Lewis maintained this speed over 400 meters, what would his time be?
  5. How much time would the honeybee need to travel 200 meters at the same speed?

Tip: When comparing speeds, it's often helpful to calculate how long each would take for the same distance to make direct comparisons easier.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Speed Comparison
Ratio

Formulas

Speed = Distance / Time
Speed Ratio = Carl Lewis's Speed / Honeybee's Speed

Theorems

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Suitable Grade Level

Grades 6-8