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Distance - Miles

 
 
Reply Sat 21 Feb, 2015 10:46 pm
Railroad ties are placed 18 inches apart from center to center. A total of 54,320 ties are used. Determine distance in miles the ties will cover.

What is known:

Railroad ties are placed 18 inches apart from center to center.

54,320 ties are used.

Want to know:

Distance (in miles) the ties will cover.

Check my solution:

18 inches = 1.5 feet

1 mile = 5280 feet

54320 / 1.5 = 36213.333 feet = 6.858522 = 7 miles

54320 / .75 (center of tie) = 75426.66 feet = 13.717 = 14 miles

Where did I miscalculate ?
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Type: Question • Score: 0 • Views: 1,201 • Replies: 9

 
neologist
 
  1  
Reply Sat 21 Feb, 2015 10:57 pm
@Randy Dandy,
Ties 1.5 feet OC, therefore.
54320 X 1.5 feet = 81480 feet
81480 feet / 5280 feet per mile = 15.43181818181818 miles

What possessed you to divide by 1.5?
Randy Dandy
 
  1  
Reply Sat 21 Feb, 2015 11:19 pm
@neologist,
I guess I was trying to calculate total distance apart.
0 Replies
 
Lustig Andrei
 
  1  
Reply Sat 21 Feb, 2015 11:30 pm
@neologist,
Quote:
What possessed you to divide by 1.5?


I would guess the fact that 18 inches = 1.5 feet.
bobsal u1553115
 
  3  
Reply Sun 22 Feb, 2015 06:29 am
Multiply number of ties times the 1.5 and add one more 1.5. Trust me.
contrex
 
  1  
Reply Sun 22 Feb, 2015 07:17 am
@bobsal u1553115,
bobsal u1553115 wrote:
Multiply number of ties times the 1.5 and add one more 1.5.

Yes.
0 Replies
 
contrex
 
  2  
Reply Sun 22 Feb, 2015 09:38 am
I wonder what cowardly fool voted down Bobsal's post. Probably someone who had not read the original question properly.
0 Replies
 
neologist
 
  1  
Reply Sun 22 Feb, 2015 10:23 am
@bobsal u1553115,
Works if a 1.5 space on each end. But if each end must have a tie, you would subtract the 1.5.
Doesn't affect mileage all that much, though. Just round it off.
0 Replies
 
Randy Dandy
 
  1  
Reply Sun 22 Feb, 2015 11:32 am
Thanks.
0 Replies
 
neologist
 
  1  
Reply Sun 22 Feb, 2015 03:01 pm
@Lustig Andrei,
It was the divding part I wondered about
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