A person in a rowboat 2 miles from the nearest point on a straight shoreline wishes to reach his house which is 6 miles farther down the shore. If he can row at a rate of 6 miles per hour and run at a rate of 10 miles per hour, what is the minimum amount of time (in minutes) it will take him to get home?
A) 68 minutes
B) 45 minutes
C) 52 minutes
D) 73 minutes

Question

A person in a rowboat 2 miles from the nearest point on a straight shoreline wishes to reach his house which is 6 miles farther down the shore. If he can row at a rate of 6 miles per hour and run at a rate of 10 miles per hour, what is the minimum amount of time (in minutes) it will take him to get home? 
A) 68 minutes 
B) 45 minutes 
C) 52 minutes 
D) 73 minutes

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

First, the person should row to the point on the shoreline that is closest to their home, which is 2 miles away. This will take them 2/6 = 1/3 hour = 20 minutes. Then, the person should run the remaining 6 miles at a rate of 10 miles per hour, which will take them 6/10 = 3/5 hour = 36 minutes.

Therefore, the total time it will take the person to get home is 20 + 36 = 56 minutes.

A Person in a Rowboat 2 Miles from the Nearest