Rationale
It took her 5.3 hours to complete the course.
To determine the total time taken, we sum the time for each segment of the run: 1 hour + 1.2 hours + 1.5 hours + 1.6 hours, which equals 5.3 hours.
A) The calculation confirms that the total time for the 24-mile course is 5.3 hours, derived from adding the individual times for each 6-mile segment: 1 + 1.2 + 1.5 + 1.6 = 5.3 hours. This choice accurately reflects the sum of the times provided in the question.
B) This option suggests a time of 5.4 hours, which is incorrect as it does not match the correct total derived from the individual segments. The accurate sum is 5.3 hours, and any deviation from this indicates a miscalculation of the total time.
C) A total time of 4 hours is inaccurate; it underestimates the actual time taken. The total of 5.3 hours indicates that the woman took longer than 4 hours to complete her run, as each segment's time collectively exceeds this figure.
D) While 5 hours is closer to the actual total, it still does not accurately reflect the computed time of 5.3 hours. The individual times add up to a total that exceeds 5 hours, making this option incorrect.
Conclusion
The total time taken by the woman to complete the 24-mile course is 5.3 hours, calculated by summing the duration of each segment. The other options fail to represent the accurate total time, either underestimating or miscalculating the sum of the segment durations. Thus, understanding how to aggregate time intervals is essential for solving such problems accurately.