document.write( "Question 682308: Hi! I'm helping my stepdaughter with this problem, and we are not sure how to \"set up\" this problem in an equation. It is stated:\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "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?\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Thank you!
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Algebra.Com's Answer #423122 by josmiceli(19441)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
First, you need to know how much of
\n" ); document.write( "a head start the freight train got
\n" ); document.write( "\"+d%5B1%5D+=+60%2A%281%2F2%29+\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"+d%5B1%5D+=+30+\" mi
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\n" ); document.write( "Now start a stopwatch when the passenger
\n" ); document.write( "train leaves the station. Both trains will now
\n" ); document.write( "travel for the same amount of time \"+t+\"
\n" ); document.write( "until they meet.
\n" ); document.write( "Let \"+d+\" = the distance that the passenger
\n" ); document.write( "train travels until they meet
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\n" ); document.write( "freight train's equation:
\n" ); document.write( "(1) \"+d+-+30+=+60t+\"
\n" ); document.write( "passenger train's equation:
\n" ); document.write( "(2) \"+d+=+72t+\"
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\n" ); document.write( "Substitute (2) into (1)
\n" ); document.write( "(1) \"+72t+-+30+=+60t+\"
\n" ); document.write( "(1) \"+12t+=+30+\"
\n" ); document.write( "(1) \"+t+=+2.5+\"
\n" ); document.write( "The passenger train takes 2.5 hrs to catch the freight train
\n" ); document.write( "check answer:
\n" ); document.write( "(2) \"+d+=+72%2A2.5+\"
\n" ); document.write( "(2) \"+d+=+180+\"
\n" ); document.write( "and
\n" ); document.write( "(1) \"+d+-+30+=+60%2A2.5+\"
\n" ); document.write( "(1) \"+d+-+30+=+150+\"
\n" ); document.write( "(1) \"+d+=+180+\"
\n" ); document.write( "OK
\n" ); document.write( "Note that the freight train covers \"+180+-+30+=+150+\" mi
\n" ); document.write( "in the same 2.5 hrs that the passenger train goes \"+180+\" mi\r
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