document.write( "Question 737280: A truck left city a and b respectively, at the same time traveling toward each other. When they met, the track had traveled 120 more miles than the van. Afterwards, the van traveled 9 more hours to reach city B while the truck traveled 4 more hours to reach city A. What is the distance between the 2 cities?\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "PLEASE HELP!!!!!
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Algebra.Com's Answer #450295 by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740)\"\" \"About 
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A van and a truck left city a and b respectively at the same time traveling toward each other.
\n" ); document.write( " When they met, the truck had traveled 120 more miles than the van.
\n" ); document.write( " Afterwards, the van traveled 9 more hours to reach city B while the truck traveled 4 more hours to reach city A.
\n" ); document.write( " What is the distance between the 2 cities?
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "let x = distance from a to meeting point (initially traveled by the van)
\n" ); document.write( "then
\n" ); document.write( "(x+120) = distance from b to meeting point (initially traveled by the truck)
\n" ); document.write( "therefore
\n" ); document.write( "(2x+120) = distance from a to b
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "Speed = dist/time
\n" ); document.write( "\"%28x%2B120%29%2F9\" = speed of the van traveling to b
\n" ); document.write( "\"x%2F4\" = speed of the truck traveling to a
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "Let t = travel time for both to the meeting point (time = dist/speed)
\n" ); document.write( "Truck time
\n" ); document.write( "\"%28x%2B120%29%2F%28x%2F4%29\" = (x+120)*\"4%2Fx\" = \"%284x%2B480%29%2Fx\"
\n" ); document.write( "Van time
\n" ); document.write( "\"x%2F%28%28x%2B120%29%2F9%29\" = x * \"9%2F%28x%2B120%29\" = \"%289x%29%2F%28x%2B120%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "Times are equal, therefore
\n" ); document.write( "\"%284x%2B480%29%2Fx\" = \"%289x%29%2F%28x%2B120%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "cross multiply
\n" ); document.write( "9x^2 = (4x+480)(x+120)
\n" ); document.write( "FOIL
\n" ); document.write( "9x^2 = 4x^2 + 480x + 480x + 57600
\n" ); document.write( "0 = 4x^2 - 9x^2 + 960x + 57600
\n" ); document.write( "-5x^2 + 960x + 57600 = 0
\n" ); document.write( "simplify, divide by-5
\n" ); document.write( "x^2 - 192x - 11520 = 0
\n" ); document.write( "Factors to
\n" ); document.write( "(x-240)(x+48) = 0
\n" ); document.write( "The positive solution
\n" ); document.write( "x = 240
\n" ); document.write( "a to b distance; 2(240) + 120 = 600 miles
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "We can confirm this, find the speed of each
\n" ); document.write( "240/4 = 60 km/hr the truck
\n" ); document.write( "360/9 = 40 km/hr the van
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "Time to meet point should be the same
\n" ); document.write( "truck: 360/60 = 6 hrs
\n" ); document.write( "van: 240/40 = 6 hrs
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