document.write( "Question 1197148: A tugboat traveling east at 40 mph is 20 mi from a harbor when another ship leaves the harbor traveling east at 50 mph. How long does it take the second tugboat to catch up to the first ship? \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #830295 by greenestamps(13200)\"\" \"About 
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\n" ); document.write( "Similar to the familiar formula for time,

\n" ); document.write( "(time) = (distance)/(rate)

\n" ); document.write( "there is the formula

\n" ); document.write( "(time) = (difference in distances)/(difference in rates)

\n" ); document.write( "In this problem, the distance to be made up by the second ship is 20 miles; the rate at which that distance is made up is 50-40 = 10mph. So the time required for the second ship to make of the distance is 20/10 = 2 hours.

\n" ); document.write( "ANSWER: 2 hours

\n" ); document.write( "Side note.... 40mph and 50mph are not reasonable speeds for large ships.

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