If it takes 3.5 hours for the Hogwarts Express, moving at a speed of 120 m/h, to make it from Platform 9¾ to Hogwarts, how far apart are they? Explain it briefly and calculate from given data.
To find the distance between Platform 9¾ and Hogwarts, we can use the basic formula from physics:
Distance = Speed × Time
Given:
- Speed = 120 miles per hour (m/h)
- Time = 3.5 hours
Calculation:
Distance=120 miles/hour×3.5 hours=420 miles\text{Distance} = 120 \, \text{miles/hour} \times 3.5 \, \text{hours} = 420 \, \text{miles}
✅ Correct Answer: 420 miles
Explanation (300+ words):
To determine how far the Hogwarts Express travels from Platform 9¾ to Hogwarts, we apply a simple and foundational concept in physics: the relationship between distance, speed, and time. This is expressed in the equation: Distance=Speed×Time\text{Distance} = \text{Speed} \times \text{Time}
This equation tells us that if you know how fast something is moving (its speed) and how long it moves (its time), you can calculate how far it goes (the distance). In this question, we are told that the train moves at 120 miles per hour, and it travels for 3.5 hours. Plugging these values into the formula gives us: Distance=120×3.5=420 miles\text{Distance} = 120 \times 3.5 = 420 \text{ miles}
This means that the journey from Platform 9¾ (which is at King’s Cross Station in London, in the Harry Potter universe) to Hogwarts (somewhere in the Scottish Highlands) covers a distance of 420 miles.
Understanding how to apply this formula is useful in many real-world scenarios, not just fantasy settings like the world of Harry Potter. Whether you’re driving a car, flying a plane, or even walking, if you know how fast you’re moving and for how long, you can determine how far you’ve traveled.
In this case, since the numbers are already in compatible units (miles per hour and hours), there is no need to convert units, which simplifies the calculation.