Answer:
Distance to appointment point = 5 miles
Step-by-step explanation:
Let s be the distance to the appointment point,
We have Maria drove to a business appointment at 50mph in the morning.
Time taken in the morning
[tex]t_m=\frac{s}{50}=0.02s[/tex]
Her average speed on the return trip in the afternoon was 40 mph.
Time taken in the afternoon
[tex]t_a=\frac{s}{40}=0.025s[/tex]
Given that the return trip took 1/4hr longer because of traffic.
That is
[tex]t_a-t_m=\frac{1}{4}hr=0.025hr[/tex]
Substituting
[tex]t_a-t_m=0.025hr\\\\0.025s-0.02s=0.025\\\\s=5miles[/tex]
Distance to appointment point = 5 miles
