document.write( "Question 975054: A policeman is pursuing a thief who is ahead by 72 of his own leaps. The thief takes 6 leaps while the policeman is taking 5 leaps, but 4 leaps of the thief are as long as 3 leaps of the policeman. How many leaps will the policeman make before the thief is caught? \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #596860 by Edwin McCravy(20060)\"\" \"About 
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A policeman is pursuing a thief who is ahead by 72 of his own leaps. The thief
\n" ); document.write( "takes 6 leaps while the policeman is taking 5 leaps, but 4 leaps of the thief
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document.write( "4 leaps of the thief are as long as 3 leaps of the policeman.
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document.write( "Suppose 4 thief-leaps = 3 policeman-leaps = 12 feet\r\n" );
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document.write( "Then each thief-leap = 3 feet, and each policeman-leap = 4 feet\r\n" );
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document.write( "The thief takes 6 leaps while the policeman is taking 5 leaps
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document.write( "So the thief runs 6x3=18 feet while the policeman runs 5x4=20 feet.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Suppose the thief runs 18 feet/second and the policeman runs 20 ft/sec. \r\n" );
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document.write( "Then the policeman's catch-up rate is 20-18 = 2 ft/sec.\r\n" );
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document.write( "A policeman is pursuing a thief who is ahead by 72 of his own leaps.
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document.write( "72 policeman-leaps = 72x4 = 288 feet.\r\n" );
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document.write( "We calculate the time it will take the policeman to catch up those 288 feet\r\n" );
document.write( "at the rate of 2 ft/sec:\r\n" );
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document.write( "time = distance/rate = 288/2 = 144 seconds.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Since distance = rate x time, he will go 20x144 = 2880 feet.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Since each policeman-leap is 12 feet, then 2880/12 = 240 leaps.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Edwin

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