SOLUTION: I have to solve this proble and show equation but I do not know where to start could you help me please? Martina leaves home at 9 A.M., bicycling at a rate of 24 mi/h. Two hours

Algebra.Com
Question 88072: I have to solve this proble and show equation but I do not know where to start could you help me please?
Martina leaves home at 9 A.M., bicycling at a rate of 24 mi/h. Two hours later, John leaves, driving at the rate of 48 mi/h. At what time will John catch up with Martina?

Answer by Edwin McCravy(20054)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
I have to solve this proble and show equation but I do not
know where to start could you help me please?
Martina leaves home at 9 A.M., bicycling at a rate of 24 mi/h.
Two hours later, John leaves, driving at the rate of 48 mi/h.
At what time will John catch up with Martina?

You can do this in your head, but I'll do it by
algebra as well. 

How to do it in your head:

at 11AM, when John leaves, Martina is already 
48 miles down the road, since she has pedaled 
at the (break-neck) speed of 24 mi/hr on a 
bicycle for two hours!  So John, driving at 
48 mi/hr is approaching her at 24 mi/hr, so he 
has to make up her 48 mile lead at 24 mi/hr
approach rate, so it'll obviously take him 2 
hours, and 2 hours past 11AM is 1PM.

How to do it by algebra.  Make this chart:

            DISTANCE     RATE     TIME
Martina                                 
John                                   

Let the answer be t. So write t for John's 
catch-up time


            DISTANCE     RATE     TIME
Martina                               
John                                t

Since Martina has a 2-hour head start, her 
time is t+2. So fill that in:


            DISTANCE     RATE     TIME
Martina                            t+2
John                                t

Now fill in their rates which are given as 
24 mi/hr and 48 mi/hr

            DISTANCE     RATE     TIME
Martina                   24       t+2
John                      48        t


Now use DISTANCE = RATE×TIME to fill in the 
two DISTANCEs:

            DISTANCE     RATE     TIME
Martina      24(t+2)      24       t+2
John           48t        48        t

Now since they both traveled the same distance,
we set the DISTANCEs equal:

       24(t+2) = 48t
     
Solve that and get t = 2 hours, which means John, 
starting two hours later than 9AM, or 11AM, will 
catch up to her in 2 hours past 11AM, or 1PM.

Edwin



RELATED QUESTIONS

Can someone help me on this problem? I need to solve the following word problem and... (answered by stanbon)
please help me solve this logarithm for x: y-3=(1/2)^x-2 I am sorry but I... (answered by ankor@dixie-net.com)
how do I solve: sin (12dregrees 49") I don't really know where to start the book I... (answered by Alan3354,MathLover1)
Please help me with this problem. I have similar problems in my homework but it does not... (answered by solver91311,edjones)
Hello. I have the following question to answer but I have not covered anything like this... (answered by jsmallt9)
Dear Sirs, I have been trying to solve this equation, but dont know where to begin. I... (answered by xcentaur)
I really need help with this please. I am returning to school after many years and I... (answered by rfer,stanbon)
Write the log expression in exponential form. Log x = y No work to show. I... (answered by jim_thompson5910)
Dear Tutor: I can show you what I have done, because I don't know where to start. I hae (answered by Paul)