document.write( "Question 167952: . 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 driver that there is a train 50 meters from the car and heading toward the same crossing. How far is the train from the crossing?\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #123819 by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Avoiding a collision. A car is traveling on a road that is perpendicular to a
\n" ); document.write( " railroad track. When the car is 30 meters from the crossing, the car’s new
\n" ); document.write( " collision detector warns the driver that there is a train 50 meters from the
\n" ); document.write( " car and heading toward the same crossing. How far is the train from the crossing?
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "This is a right triangle problem: a^2 + b^2 = c^2
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "Let a = 30 (car dist from the crossing)
\n" ); document.write( "Let c = 50 (diagonal or hypotenuse) detector reading
\n" ); document.write( "Let b = dist train is from the crossing
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "30^2 + b^2 = 50^2
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "900 + b^2 = 2500
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "b^2 = 2500 - 900
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "b^2 = 1600
\n" ); document.write( "b = \"sqrt%281600%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "b = 40 meters, train is from the crossing
\n" ); document.write( ";
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "Check solution on a calc; enter \"sqrt%2830%5E2+%2B+40%5E2%29\" = 50 \n" ); document.write( "
\n" );