a train travels due north at 65 km/h. Six hours later, another train leaves the same station travelling due north on a parallel track, and travels at 95 km/h. In how many hours will the second train overtake the first? The way that question is asked, it could be taken two ways: 1. As the number of hours after the first train starts OR 2. As the number of hours after the second train starts I will assume it is 2. Make this chart DISTANCE RATE TIME 1st train | 2nd train | Fill in the given rates (speeds): DISTANCE RATE TIME 1st train | 65 2nd train | 95 Let the time after the 2nd train starts be x hrs. Fill that in for the 2nd train's time. DISTANCE RATE TIME 1st train | 65 2nd train | 95 x The 1st train travels for 6 hours longet than the 2nd train, so we add 6 hrs to x hrs and get x+6 hrs. Fill that in for the 1st train's time: DISTANCE RATE TIME 1st train | 65 x+6 2nd train | 95 x Now use D = RT to fill in the DISTANCES: DISTANCE RATE TIME 1st train | 65(x+6) 65 x+6 2nd train | 95x 95 x The trains travel the same distance, so set the two distances equal to each other: 65(x+6) = 95x Solve that and get x = 13 hours after 2nd train leaves, which is 19 hours after 1st train leaves. Checking: During the 6 hours the first train travels before the second one starts, the first train will have moved 65×6 or 390 km down the track when the 2nd one starts. In another 13 hours the first train will have moved an additional 65×13 or 845 km, making his total distance from the station 1235 km. During that last 13 hours the 2nd train will move 95×13 or 1235 km. So the two trains will be together at that time. Edwin