document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=1200034>Question 1200034</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Cars traveling at 120 km/h on a highway to Florida during the march break are separated, on the average, by only 5 m. There are 1000 cars on a straight stretch of the highway. If each car averages 3.5m in length how far is it from the back of the last car to the front of the first car? </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #834044 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=math_tutor2020><B>math_tutor2020(3816)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=math_tutor2020><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/nopicture.jpg><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=834044\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> <font color=black size=3><BR>\n" );
document.write( "We start off with one car. It will be placed to the very left, and it's be the last car in the chain.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "We start off with 3.5 meters in total length.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Then add on a second car. Place it to the right of the initial car. <BR>\n" );
document.write( "We add on the 5 meter gap and the 3.5 meter car length to get a total addition of 5+3.5 = 8.5 meters.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Each time we add on a new car to the right, we'll add on 8.5 meters.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "There will be 1000-1 = 999 new additions to be placed to the right of the initial car.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "999*8.5 = 8491.5 meters is the added distance<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Add that onto the initial car length 3.5 meters to get 8491.5 + 3.5 = 8495 meters = 8.495 kilometers<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Divide by 1000 to go from meters to kilometers (i.e. move the decimal point 3 spots to the left).\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Answer: <font color=red size=4>8.495 km</font><BR>\n" );
document.write( "This value is an approximation because the gap between cars (5 m) and the car lengths (3.5 m) are average approximations.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Side note: 8.495 km = 5.2785 miles approximately\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Another approach:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "There are 1000 cars and 1000-1 = 999 gaps<BR>\n" );
document.write( "999 gaps lead to 999*5 = 4995 meters of empty road\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "1000 cars = 1000*3.5 = 3500 meters if the cars were touching end to end\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Of course they aren't touching and we have to add in the gaps<BR>\n" );
document.write( "3500+4995 = 8495 meters = 8.495 kilometers\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Answer: <font color=red size=4>8.495 km</font><BR>\n" );
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