SOLUTION: 1. In a swimming race, a father gives his 4-year old son a 10-second head-start. The pool is 25-meters long. The child swims at 0.80 m/sec while the father swims at 1.20 m/sec. a)

Question 996518: 1. In a swimming race, a father gives his 4-year old son a 10-second head-start. The pool is 25-meters long. The child swims at 0.80 m/sec while the father swims at 1.20 m/sec.
a) How far is the child ahead of the father when the father gets to start swimming? [8 m]
b) At what time does the father come up alongside his son? [20 s later]
c) Who wins the race?

Answer by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
1. In a swimming race, a father gives his 4-year old son a 10-second head-start.
The pool is 25-meters long.
The child swims at 0.80 m/sec while the father swims at 1.20 m/sec.
:
a) How far is the child ahead of the father when the father gets to start swimming? [8 m], this is how far he swims in 10 sec
:
b) At what time does the father come up alongside his son? [20 s later]
1.2t = .8(t+10)
1.2t = .8t + 8
1.2t - .8t = 8
.4t = 8
t = 8/.4
t = 20 sec
:
c) Who wins the race?
Find how far they are after 20 sec, 20*1.2 = 24 meters, therefore
Dad wins the race, but close, only by about .4 seconds
:
Son does the last meter in 1/.8 = 1.25 sec
Dad does the last meter in 1/1.2 = .833 sec
RELATED QUESTIONS
Jan can run 7.5 meters per second, Mary at 8.0 meters per second. On a race track Jan is... (answered by mananth,corncob)

A 37 year old father has a 4 year old son. In how many years will the father be exactly... (answered by ankor@dixie-net.com)

a 30 year-old father has 4 year-old son. In how many years will the father be thrice as... (answered by aliafzal14)

An empty swimming pool is in the shape of a rectangle 10 meters long, 5 meters wide and 1 (answered by Theo)

(Age problem) A 35-year old man has a 10-year old son. In how many years will the father... (answered by lynnlo)

Monica gets a 2 meter head start and travels 3 meters in 4 seconds if the race is 16... (answered by ikleyn)

Hi i would like some help on solving these two simultaneous equations for my homework as... (answered by uma)

An empty swimming pool is in the shape of a rectangle 10 meters long, 5 meters wide and 2 (answered by josgarithmetic)

Tom and Cathy decide to run a race. Tom can run at 10 meters per second and Cathy can run (answered by mananth)