document.write( "Question 77446: Two cyclists start biking from a trail's start 3 hours apart. The second cyclist travels at 10 miles per hour and starts 3 hours after the first cyclist who is traveling at 6 miles per hour. How much time will pass before the second cyclist catches up with the first from the time the second cyclist started biking? \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #55559 by Edwin McCravy(20056)![]() ![]() You can put this solution on YOUR website! \r\n" ); document.write( "Two cyclists start biking from a trail's start 3 hours apart. The second\r\n" ); document.write( "cyclist travels at 10 miles per hour and starts 3 hours after the first cyclist\r\n" ); document.write( "who is traveling at 6 miles per hour. How much time will pass before the second\r\n" ); document.write( "cyclist catches up with the first from the time the second cyclist started\r\n" ); document.write( "biking?\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "First here's how to work it your head with no algebra! \r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "When the second one starts, the first one is 18 miles down the trail, since he\r\n" ); document.write( "has been going for 3 hours at 6 miles per hour. The second one's approach rate\r\n" ); document.write( "is 10-6 or 4 miles per hour. So in 4 hours he'll have covered 4×4 or 16 of the\r\n" ); document.write( "18 miles between them, so to go the remaining 2 miles between them, approaching\r\n" ); document.write( "by 4 miles per hour, it will take him an additional half hour, so the answer \r\n" ); document.write( "is 4 1/2 hours. \r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "But your teacher will probably not accept that method, although you should be\r\n" ); document.write( "able to think it out that way. Here's the way your teacher probably expects\r\n" ); document.write( "you to do it.\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "Make this chart:\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( " Distance Rate Time\r\n" ); document.write( "First bicyclist \r\n" ); document.write( "Second bicyclist \r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "Let the answer be t hours. Then fill in t for the second \r\n" ); document.write( "bicyclist's time.\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( " Distance Rate Time\r\n" ); document.write( "First bicyclist \r\n" ); document.write( "Second bicyclist t\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "The first bicyclist travels 3 hours longer than the second,\r\n" ); document.write( "so fill in his time as t+3\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( " Distance Rate Time\r\n" ); document.write( "First bicyclist t+3\r\n" ); document.write( "Second bicyclist t\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "Fill in their rates as 6 and 10 respectively\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( " Distance Rate Time\r\n" ); document.write( "First bicyclist 6 t+3\r\n" ); document.write( "Second bicyclist 10 t\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "Now use Distance = Rate × Time to fill in the \r\n" ); document.write( "distances.\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( " Distance Rate Time\r\n" ); document.write( "First bicyclist 6(t+3) 6 t+3\r\n" ); document.write( "Second bicyclist 10t 10 t\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "Now since they traveled the SAME distance, their\r\n" ); document.write( "distances are equal, so the equation is:\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( " 6(t+3) = 10t\r\n" ); document.write( " 6t + 18 = 10t\r\n" ); document.write( " 6t - 10t = -18 \r\n" ); document.write( " -4t = -18\r\n" ); document.write( " t = (-18)/(-4)\r\n" ); document.write( " t = 18/4 \r\n" ); document.write( " t = 9/2\r\n" ); document.write( " t = 4 1/2 hours.\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "Edwin \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " |