OR
If average speed of competitor is 5 m/s, then find the average time taken by competitor to put all the potatoes in the bucket.
OR
If average speed of competitor is 5 m/s, then find the average time taken by competitor to put all the potatoes in the bucket.
Official answer
Using the total distance 370 m (from the AP sum with ) and average speed 5 m/s, Time = Distance/Speed = seconds. So the competitor takes an average of 74 seconds to place all ten potatoes in the bucket.
Marking scheme
- 1.1 mark: correctly identifying total distance = 370 m (from the AP sum) and writing Time = Distance/Speed.
- 2.1 mark: correct substitution and final answer of 74 seconds.
Hint
Time = Total distance ÷ Speed = .
Quick oral answer
Total distance is 370 m and speed is 5 m/s, so time = seconds.
Common mistakes
- 1.Using an incorrect total distance carried forward from a wrong AP calculation.
- 2.Confusing speed and time formula, e.g. writing Time = Speed/Distance instead of Distance/Speed.
- 3.Forgetting units (seconds) in the final answer.
Analysis and explanation
Links the AP result to a simple Speed–Distance–Time application, testing carry-forward accuracy.
Concept
- Time = Distance ÷ Speed; the distance here is the AP sum (370 m) from the previous part.
- Combines algebra (AP) with an elementary motion formula — a common interdisciplinary case-study pattern.
Key Points
- Total distance = 370 m; average speed = 5 m/s.
- Time = = 74 seconds.
Common Mistakes
- A wrong total distance carried from the earlier AP step (e.g. using d = 3 instead of 6) propagates an incorrect time here.
- Method marks are still awarded for correctly writing Time = Distance/Speed even if the carried-forward distance is imperfect, provided working is shown.
Interesting facts
An average speed of 5 m/s (18 km/h) is a realistic brisk running pace for a school-level potato race competitor.
This question shows how AP results can feed directly into everyday physics formulas like Speed = Distance/Time, a common cross-topic pairing in CBSE case studies.
Question details
Q46 of 56 questions
- Board
- CBSE
- Class
- Class 10
- Subject
- Mathematics (Standard)
- Year
- 2026
- Section
- Section E
- Marks
- 2
- Type
- Short Answer
- Chapter
- Arithmetic Progressions
- Topic
- Arithmetic Progressions - Application with Speed-Distance-Time (Potato Race)
- Bloom's level
- apply
- Syllabus topic
- Unit II: Algebra — Arithmetic Progressions applied with Speed-Distance-Time relation
- Author
- CBSE
- Reviewed by
- Padhantu Academic Team
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Frequently asked questions
Which formula connects speed, distance, and time here?
Time = Distance ÷ Speed. Using the total AP distance of 370 m and speed 5 m/s gives 74 seconds.
Why is this called an 'average' time?
Because the competitor's actual running speed varies throughout the race, but the problem assumes a constant average speed of 5 m/s to simplify the calculation.