SOLUTION: a freight train leaves a station traveling 60 miles per hour. thirty minutes later a passenger train leaves the station in the same direction on a parallel track at a speed of 72 m

Question 255405: a freight train leaves a station traveling 60 miles per hour. thirty minutes later a passenger train leaves the station in the same direction on a parallel track at a speed of 72 miles per hour. How long will it take the passenger train to catch the freight train?
Found 2 solutions by rfer, josmiceli:
Answer by rfer(16322) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
first train is 30 miles ahead
overtake speed is 12 mph
30/12=2.5 hrs= 2 hrs 30 min
Answer by josmiceli(19441) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Imagine you have a stopwatch and you start it when
the 2nd train leaves. You are all-knowing and powerful,
and can stop the stopwatch when the trains meet.
How far has the 1st train gone when you start the stopwatch?

mi/hr
hr

mi
Now the 2 train will travel different distances but for the same time
on the stopwatch ()
For the 2nd train:

mi/hr

The 1st train has mi less to travel

Use in the 1st equation for in the 2nd equation

hrs
It will take the passenger train 2.5 hrs to catch the freight train
check:
The 1st train has traveled for hrs
mi
mi
And the 2nd train's distance is

mi
These are the TOTAL distances the trains must travel
and they are equal as they must be when they meet

RELATED QUESTIONS
A freight train leaves a station traveling 60 miles per hour. Thirty minutes later a... (answered by josmiceli)
a freight train leaves a station traveling 60 miles per hour. Thirty minutes later a... (answered by josmiceli)
I need help with the following: A freight train leaves a station traveling 60 miles... (answered by rfer,bagyo)
Hi! I'm helping my stepdaughter with this problem, and we are not sure how to "set up"... (answered by josmiceli,Alan3354)
A freight train leaves the station traveling at 30km/hr. One hour later, a passenger... (answered by TimothyLamb)
Your word problem on the first page was changed from "A freight train leaves the station... (answered by nerdybill)
A freight tain leaves a station at 4:00 p.m. traveling ay 30 kilometers per hour. A... (answered by Photonjohn,venugopalramana)
At 3 P.M. a freight train leaves Chicago traveling at 40 miles per hour. At 7pm, a... (answered by Alan3354)