document.write( "Question 55158: Ching leaves San Francisco and travels toward Los Angeles at 50 mi/h. An hour later, Phil leaves Los Angeles and travels toward San Francisco at 60 mi/h. If the two cities are 380 miles apart, how many hours will it take for Ching to meet Phil? \n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #37416 by Hook(36) $\"\"$ $\"About$

You can put this solution on YOUR website!
A couple questions to start? Why are Ching and Phil meeting in the Central Valley? There's nothing there? Why don't they agree to just have one person come to LA or SF. And 50 and 60 mph? You have got to be kidding me. Anything less than 75 on the I-5 is right out. Never mind that...on to the math. \r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Let's call t the number of hours since Ching smashes his foot on the gas. \r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "We know that $\"distance+=+rate+%2A+time\"$ or just $\"d=rt\"$
\n" ); document.write( "How far does Ching go? That's easy:
\n" ); document.write( " $\"d+=+50t\"$ \r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "What about Phil? We have to account for him leaving an hour later, so we put $\"t-1\"$ in place of $\"t\"$ .
\n" ); document.write( " $\"+d=+60%28t-1%29\"$ \r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Combined, the two have to equal 380 miles. We get this:
\n" ); document.write( " $\"50t%2B60%28t-1%29+=+380\"$
\n" ); document.write( "Distribute the 60
\n" ); document.write( " $\"50t%2B60t-60+=+380\"$
\n" ); document.write( "Combine like terms
\n" ); document.write( " $\"110t-60+=+380\"$
\n" ); document.write( "Move the 60 to the right side
\n" ); document.write( " $\"110t+=+440\"$
\n" ); document.write( "Divide by 110
\n" ); document.write( " $\"t+=+4\"$ \r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "It will take Ching 4 hours to meet Phil.
\n" ); document.write( " Four hours! That's insane. To get to the middle of nothing. If you press it from SF, you can get to the grapevine in 5 hours! \n" ); document.write( "

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