How would you calculate this?

[Diddums x]

Time for another GCSE maths question

Let's see what you guys come up with. I've already calculated my answer but I think I've done it very differently to what's expected of me so I'm intrigued to see how you guys would do it!

Johannes drove for 3 hours at 50 miles per hour, and for 2 hours at 60 miles per hour.

Find the average speed for the whole journey, giving your answer in SI units.

Spoiler

I came up with 54mph simply by adding the distance travelled during each hour then dividing it by the amount of hours travelled, as the hour is a constant.

So, what's up GD?

 

[Diddums x]

That's exactly how I worked it out too. Thing is, there's this line at the end of the question:

Answer the question, giving your answer to a suitable number of significant figures and explaining your choice of significant figures.

Wut?

 

[Diddums x]

Ah ****, that's just cost me a few points then


Ah well, this is just a small part of the assignment anyway. Perhaps I should read the whole thing before hitting submit

 

[Diddums x]

It's an engineering degree too

 

[Diddums x]

Hey, this is the first assignment, give it a rest


(I may have left out most of my studying and am now playing catch up. Probably)

 

[Diddums x]

Fairly straightforward tbf:

50*3 + 60*2 = distance in miles
5 = time in hours
270/5 = 54mph
Convert mph to m/s and you're done

For you, yes. For a school dropout who's skated by for most of his life (and forgotten most of what he's learned due to living in Amsterdam for 8 years and enjoying the local produce rather extensively) not so much.

Still, I must admit that I'm thoroughly enjoying this, it's still pretty straightforward stuff but I do get caught out by the odd question, such as this one.

You wouldn't think I'm a head engineer for a team of 6 guys in a maintenance company, would you?

 

[Diddums x]

Thanks guys, all feedback or comments are appreciated, even the slightly patronising ones

I've double checked the course material and there's norhing in it about SI units so far so this is either a test of my existing knowledge or to see if I'm cheating. Either way it doesn't really matter.

Really interesting though, some of the later content looks ridiculous but I'm sure I'll get my head around it all in due course (I should bloody hope so, this is costing me a fortune).

 

[Diddums x]

I have no doubt it'll serve its purpose and from a quick look around it's actually pretty damn simple.

A quote from a previous tutor:

"For **** sakes Dave, why are you always overthinking everything and questioning everything when the solution is so bloody simple?"

This has been echoed many times during my existence, which has resulted in many face palm moments when the penny drops.

 

[Diddums x]

For all we know you might be the man that pulls the chain with your toilet cleaning gang!

Nah, I have minions for that

I'll do the crap jobs if necessary but I tend to stick to the H&S and compliance side of things nowadays, as well as organizing projects, materials, PPE, COSHH, all that other lovely exciting stuff (yawn).

 

[Diddums x]

Thanks again for the help all, I got 29/36 for the question and a 71% for the test in general, I lost a ton of points because I read a question wrong. If I'd have read it right it would've been 91%.

It's not as good as I would've wanted but that's what you get for leaving things to the last minute and having to rush through it all I guess.