A person travels from New York to Washington at the rate of 45 km per hour and
comes backs to the New York at the rate of 55 km per hour. What is his average
speed for the whole journey?

Distance covered = speed x timethe distance traveled going against the stream = distance traveled with the stream.therefore it is the speed and the time that are the variables.as he travels the same distance both ways, speed x time is the same for each way.going upstream his speed is 4 kph; going downstream his speed is 6 kph.therefore we have two simultaneous equations: time upstream x 4 = time downstream x 6time upstream + time downstream = 60 minutestherefore we have the equation: time upstream = 6/10 hour, time downstream therefore = 4/10 hour.distance traveled at 4km/hr in 6/10 hour = 24/10 = 2.4km.check: distance traveled at 6km/hr in 4/10 hour = 24/10 = 2.4km.