SOLUTION: A slower plane leaves LAX 2 hours before a faster plane. If the slower plane travels at 400mph and the faster plane travels at 500 mph, how long after the faster plane leaves LAX a

Question 1148283: A slower plane leaves LAX 2 hours before a faster plane. If the slower plane travels at 400mph and the faster plane travels at 500 mph, how long after the faster plane leaves LAX are they traveling side by side
Found 3 solutions by josmiceli, greenestamps, MathTherapy:
Answer by josmiceli(19441)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Let = time in hrs for faster plane
to catch up with slower plane
Let = the slower plane's head start in miles
Let = distance the faster plane travels until it
catches up with the slower plane
-----------------------------------------------------------

Equation for slower plane:
(1)
Equation for faster plane:
(2)
-----------------------------
Plug (2) into (1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
---------------------------
8 hrs after the faster plane leaves LAX they are traveling side by side
---------------------------
check:
(2)
(2)
(2) mi
and
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1) mi
OK

Answer by greenestamps(13206)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!

The slower plane flies 2 hours at 400 mph before the faster plane takes off.

(1) How far has the slower plane flown when the faster plane takes off?

(2) The difference in speeds of the two planes is 100 mph. So in each hour, the faster plane catches up to the slower by 100 miles.

(3) Catching up at the rate in (2), how many hours does it take the faster plane to make up the distance in (1)?

Answer by MathTherapy(10556)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!

A slower plane leaves LAX 2 hours before a faster plane. If the slower plane travels at 400mph and the faster plane travels at 500 mph, how long after the faster plane leaves LAX are they traveling side by side

Let T be time faster plane takes to catch up to slower plane
Distance faster plane will travel during that time: 500T
Distance slower plane will travel during that time: 400(T + 2)
We then get the following DISTANCE equation: 500T = 400(T + 2)
100T = 800
Time faster plane takes, or
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