SOLUTION: Two tuna boats leave the same port traveling in opposite directions along the west coast of the U.S. One boat travels 5 miles per hour faster than the other.At the end of one day's

Question 425817: Two tuna boats leave the same port traveling in opposite directions along the west coast of the U.S. One boat travels 5 miles per hour faster than the other.At the end of one day's travel they are 1,080 miles apart. What is the speed of each boat per hour.
Answer by IWork4Dessert(60) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
When you're faced with a problem such as this one, the best thing to do is to make a chart with three columns and two rows. I'll try to describe one; bear with me.
On top of your chart, put these words above each column.
Rate x Time = Distance
On the left side of the chart, put "1st Boat" next to the first row and "2nd Boat" next to the second row. This chart can be used in all problems that ask for rate, distance, or time.
Under the first column in the first row(rate, 1st boat), write x. This will be the variable for the speed of this boat. Since it says that the second boat is 5 mph more than the first boat, you would make the second box(rate, 2nd boat) x+5.
Under the second column, put 24 in both rows. This is because the problem says that the boats travel in the time span of one day, which is 24 hours.
Now multiply together(ratextime=distance). This would give you 24x in the first row and 24x+120 in the second row of the last column.
Now you have the rate expressions for both boats. The problem says that the boats travel over a distance of 1080 miles, so you would just stick the two rate expressions together and make them equal 1080. 24x+24x+120=1080
Solve.
48x+120=1080
48x=960
x=20
Your first boat goes at 20 mph. Now plug this into the rate expression you'd set up for the second boat.
x+5=20+5
1st boat=20 mph
2nd boat=25 mph
Hope this helps! Let me know if you don't get anything.
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