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jmc

prealgebra intermediate

Problem

An ambulance travels at 40 mph and can follow a 20-mile route making no stops to get to the hospital. A helicopter travels at one mile per minute, and the air route is 15 miles to get to the same hospital. However, the helicopter takes three minutes for takeoff and three minutes for landing. How many fewer minutes does it take for the helicopter to complete its trip (takeoff, flight and landing) than for the ambulance to complete its trip?
Solution
If the ambulance travels at 40 miles per hour and takes a 20 mile route to the hospital, it will take half an hour, or 30 minutes. The helicopter takes three minutes to take off, three minutes to land, and 15 minutes to travel to the hospital, for a total of 21 minutes. Therefore, it takes the helicopter fewer minutes to complete its trip.
Final answer
9