(d) Leonard travels a distance of 240 km to visit his parents. He calculates that, if he increases his average speed by \( 20 \mathrm{~km} / \mathrm{h} \), the journey will take him 2 hours less. Determine his original speed.
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Extra Insights
To solve this delightful little puzzle, let’s declare Leonard’s original speed as \( x \) km/h. It takes him \( \frac{240}{x} \) hours to travel the distance of 240 km. If he speeds up by 20 km/h, his new speed is \( x + 20 \) km/h, and the time taken is \( \frac{240}{x + 20} \) hours. According to the problem, this new journey takes him 2 hours less: \[ \frac{240}{x} - \frac{240}{x + 20} = 2 \] Now, by multiplying through by \( x(x + 20) \) to eliminate the denominators and simplifying, you’ll find that \( x \) is 40 km/h! What’s fascinating is how simple equations can unleash your inner detective to find the speed. When you visualize Leonard zooming down the road, that extra 20 km/h makes a significant difference—turning a four-hour drive into just two hours! If he’d only taken this shortcut in life!