SOLUTION: A ship traveling east at 30 mph is 10 mi from a harbor when another ship leaves the harbor traveling east at 40 mph. How long does it take the second ship to catch up to the first

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Question 1196948: A ship traveling east at 30 mph is 10 mi from a harbor when another ship leaves the harbor traveling east at 40 mph. How long does it take the second ship to catch up to the first ship?
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Found 2 solutions by ikleyn, greenestamps:
Answer by ikleyn(52781)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
.

The approaching rate is 40 mph - 30 mph = 10 mph.


Therefore, the head start distance of 10 miles will be covered in   = 1 hour.


It means that the second ship will catch up to the first ship in 1 hour.

Solved, with full explanation.

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Answer by greenestamps(13200)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!


The distance the second ship needs to make up is 10 miles; the rate of catching up is the difference between the two speeds, which is 40-30 = 10mph.

I assume you are familiar with the basic formula

time = distance / rate

It is similarly true that

time = (difference in distances) / (difference in rates)

So the number of hours required for the second ship to catch up to the first is 10/10 = 1.

ANSWER: 1 hour
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