document.write( "Question 907866: Two cars start at the same place and travel at right angles to each other. one car travels 2mph faster than the other car after 2 hours they are 20 miles apart. how fast are the cars traveling?
\n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #550761 by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Two cars start at the same place and travel at right angles to each other.
\n" ); document.write( " one car travels 2mph faster than the other car
\n" ); document.write( " after 2 hours they are 20 miles apart.
\n" ); document.write( "how fast are the cars traveling?
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "let s = speed of the slower car
\n" ); document.write( "then
\n" ); document.write( "(s+2) = speed of the faster car
\n" ); document.write( "therefore:
\n" ); document.write( "2s = distance traveled by the slower car
\n" ); document.write( "and
\n" ); document.write( "2(s+2) = distance traveled by the faster car
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "We can solve this as right triangle: a^2 + b^2 = c^2, where
\n" ); document.write( "a = 2s
\n" ); document.write( "b = 2(s+2)
\n" ); document.write( "c = 20
\n" ); document.write( "\"%282s%29%5E2+%2B+%282%28s%2B2%29%29%5E2+=+20%5E2\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"4s%5E2+%2B+%282s%2B4%29%5E2+=+400\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"4s%5E2+%2B+4s%5E2+%2B+16s+%2B+16+=+400\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"8s%5E2+%2B+16s+%2B+16+-+400+=+0\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"8s%5E2+%2B+16s+-+384+=+0\"
\n" ); document.write( "simplify, divide by 8
\n" ); document.write( "\"s%5E2+%2B+2x+-+48+=+0\"
\n" ); document.write( "Factors to
\n" ); document.write( "(s+8)(s-6) = 0
\n" ); document.write( "The positive solution is all we want here
\n" ); document.write( "s = 6 mph is the speed of the slower car
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "you can find the speed of the faster car, check the solutions in original equation
\n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "
\n" );