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Doubling average speed over two one-mile laps

Question

A driver covers the first lap of a one-mile circuit at a steady 3030 mph. At what constant speed xx must the second lap be driven for the average speed over both laps to be 6060 mph? Enter −1-1 if no such speed exists.

Short answer

−1-1. Averaging 6060 mph over 22 miles needs a total time of 22 minutes, but the first mile at 3030 mph already uses 22 minutes. The second lap would have to take zero time, so no finite speed works.

Adapted from QuantQuestions.io; question and answer rewritten by SelfMadeQuant.com.

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