Question 148702This question is from textbook Elementary and Intermediate Algebra
: Avoiding a collision. A car is traveling on a road that is perpendicular to a railroad track. When the car is 30 meters from the crossing, the car's new collision detector warns the friver that there is a train 50 meters from the car and heading toward the same crossing. How far is the train from the crossing?
This question is from textbook Elementary and Intermediate Algebra
Answer by nerdybill(7384)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website! Avoiding a collision. A car is traveling on a road that is perpendicular to a railroad track. When the car is 30 meters from the crossing, the car's new collision detector warns the friver that there is a train 50 meters from the car and heading toward the same crossing. How far is the train from the crossing?
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Draw a diagram of the situation and label the information provided.
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Once you do that, you should see that the "front of the car", the "center of the crossing" and the "front of the train" forms a "right triangle". Now, you can apply Pythagorean's theorem:
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Let x = distance of train from crossing
then
x^2 + 30^2 = 50^2
x^2 + 900 = 2500
x^2 = 2500 - 900
x^2 = 1600
x = 40 feet
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