Problem:
Elmer the emu takes 44 equal strides to walk between consecutive telephone poles on a rural road. Oscar the ostrich can cover the same distance in 12 equal leaps. The telephone poles are evenly spaced, and the 41 st pole along this road is exactly one mile ( 5280 feet) from the first pole. How much longer, in feet, is Oscar's leap than Elmer's stride?
Answer Choices:
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Solution:
Consecutive telephone poles are feet apart. Elmer's stride is then feet long, and Oscar's leap is feet long. The requested difference is .
The problems on this page are the property of the MAA's American Mathematics Competitions