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Question

How long will a man take to walk around the boundary of a square field of area 25 hectares at the rate of 5 km/hr ?

This question was previously asked in
CDS I 2023 English Previous Year Paper (16-April-2023)
The correct answer is

24 minutes

Calculating Walk Time Around a Square Field

This problem asks us to find the time a man takes to walk around the boundary of a square field given its area and his walking speed. To solve this, we need to determine the total distance the man walks (the perimeter of the square field) and then use the formula: Time = Distance / Speed.

Step 1: Find the Area in Square Meters

The area of the square field is given as 25 hectares.

We know that 1 hectare is equal to 10,000 square meters.

So, the area in square meters is:

\(\text{Area} = 25 \text{ hectares} \times 10,000 \frac{\text{m}^2}{\text{hectare}}\)

\(\text{Area} = 250,000 \text{ m}^2\)

Step 2: Calculate the Side Length of the Square Field

The area of a square is calculated by the formula:

\(\text{Area} = (\text{Side})^2\)

To find the side length, we take the square root of the area:

\(\text{Side} = \sqrt{\text{Area}}\)

\(\text{Side} = \sqrt{250,000 \text{ m}^2}\)

\(\text{Side} = \sqrt{25 \times 10,000} \text{ m}\)

\(\text{Side} = \sqrt{25} \times \sqrt{10,000} \text{ m}\)

\(\text{Side} = 5 \times 100 \text{ m}\)

\(\text{Side} = 500 \text{ m}\)

The side length of the square field is 500 meters.

Step 3: Determine the Distance (Perimeter of the Square)

The man walks around the boundary, which means he walks the perimeter of the square field.

The perimeter of a square is calculated by the formula:

\(\text{Perimeter} = 4 \times \text{Side}\)

\(\text{Perimeter} = 4 \times 500 \text{ m}\)

\(\text{Perimeter} = 2000 \text{ m}\)

The total distance the man walks is 2000 meters.

Step 4: Convert Speed to Consistent Units

The man's speed is given as 5 km/hr. We need to convert this speed to meters per minute so that the distance (in meters) and speed units are consistent for calculating time in minutes.

  • Convert kilometers to meters: 1 km = 1000 m
  • Convert hours to minutes: 1 hour = 60 minutes

So, the speed in meters per minute is:

\(\text{Speed} = 5 \frac{\text{km}}{\text{hr}} = 5 \times \frac{1000 \text{ m}}{60 \text{ minutes}}\)

\(\text{Speed} = \frac{5000}{60} \frac{\text{m}}{\text{minute}}\)

\(\text{Speed} = \frac{500}{6} \frac{\text{m}}{\text{minute}}\)

\(\text{Speed} = \frac{250}{3} \frac{\text{m}}{\text{minute}}\)

The man's speed is \(\frac{250}{3}\) meters per minute.

Step 5: Calculate the Time Taken

Now we use the formula: Time = Distance / Speed

\(\text{Time} = \frac{2000 \text{ m}}{\frac{250}{3} \frac{\text{m}}{\text{minute}}}\)

\(\text{Time} = 2000 \times \frac{3}{250} \text{ minutes}\)

\(\text{Time} = \frac{2000 \times 3}{250} \text{ minutes}\)

\(\text{Time} = \frac{6000}{250} \text{ minutes}\)

Simplify the fraction:

\(\text{Time} = \frac{600}{25} \text{ minutes}\)

\(\text{Time} = 24 \text{ minutes}\)

The man will take 24 minutes to walk around the boundary of the square field.

Quantity Value Unit
Area of field 25 hectares
Equivalent area 250,000 m\(^2\)
Side length 500 m
Perimeter (Distance) 2000 m
Speed 5 km/hr
Equivalent speed \(\frac{250}{3}\) m/minute
Time taken 24 minutes

Revision Table: Formulas and Concepts

Concept Formula/Conversion
Hectare to m\(^2\) 1 hectare = 10,000 m\(^2\)
Area of Square Side \(\times\) Side or Side\(^2\)
Perimeter of Square 4 \(\times\) Side
Time, Distance, Speed Time = Distance / Speed
km/hr to m/minute \(X \frac{\text{km}}{\text{hr}} = X \times \frac{1000 \text{ m}}{60 \text{ min}}\)

Additional Information: Units and Conversions

Understanding units and how to convert them is crucial in physics and word problems involving measurements. Always ensure all quantities are in compatible units before performing calculations. For example, if distance is in meters, speed should be in meters per unit of time (like seconds or minutes), and the resulting time will be in that same unit.

  • Distance Units: meters (m), kilometers (km), centimeters (cm), miles, feet, etc.
  • Area Units: square meters (m\(^2\)), square kilometers (km\(^2\)), hectares (ha), acres, etc.
  • Speed Units: meters per second (m/s), kilometers per hour (km/hr), miles per hour (mph), meters per minute (m/min), etc.
  • Time Units: seconds (s), minutes (min), hours (hr), days, etc.

Common conversions:

  • 1 km = 1000 m
  • 1 hour = 60 minutes
  • 1 minute = 60 seconds
  • 1 hour = 3600 seconds
  • 1 hectare = 10,000 m\(^2\)

When solving problems, choose a consistent set of units for distance and time based on what is given or what is asked for in the final answer.

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Important Questions from Plane Figures

  1. A rectangular grassy plot is 38 m long and 32 m wide. It has a gravel path of uniform width on the inside having an area of $600 \text{ m}^2$. The width of the path is:
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