.
The relative speed is 500 - 5 = 495 yards per minute.
It is the rate of decreasing the distance between them, which initially was 990 yards.
Hence, the time to catching up is = 2 minutes.
It is how physicists solve such problems (momentarily !)
In Algebra, the canonical way is to write equations . . .
Let t be the time under the question.
Then the distance from the starting point of Achilles to the catching up point is 500*t yards.
The tortoise will cover 5t yards, and it is 990 yards less then Achilles will cover.
It gives you an equation
500t - 5t = 990,
which you can easily solve
495t = 990 ====> t = 990/495, by obtaining the same answer t= 2 minutes.
Solved.
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- Travel and Distance problems
- Travel and Distance problems for two bodies moving in opposite directions
- Travel and Distance problems for two bodies moving in the same direction (catching up)
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