Elijah drove 45 miles to his job in an hour and ten minutes in the morning. On the way home in the evening, however, the traffic was much heavier, and the same trip took an hour and a half. What was his average speed in miles per hour for the round trip?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: To find the average speed for the round trip, we calculate the total distance and total time traveled. The total distance for the round trip is 45 miles each way, so 45 miles * 2 = 90 miles. The total time taken for the morning trip is 1 hour and 10 minutes (1.17 hours), and for the evening trip is 1.5 hours. Therefore, the total time for the round trip is 1.17 hours + 1.5 hours = 2.67 hours. To find the average speed, we divide the total distance by the total time: 90 miles / 2.67 hours ≈ 33.7 miles per hour. The closest option is A, 30 miles per hour, making it the correct answer. Choice B (45) is the total distance for the round trip, not the average speed. Choices C (36) and D (40) are not derived from the correct calculations and do not represent the average speed for the round trip.