document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=903490>Question 903490</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Two cyclists leave towns 90mi  apart at the same time and travel toward each other. One cyclist travels 8 /mih  faster than the other. If they meet in 3  hours, what is the rate of each cyclist? </SPAN>\n" );
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document.write( "While a solution using formal algebra is probably wanted, note that solving the problem informally, using logical reasoning and simple arithmetic instead of formal algebra, provides good mental exercise.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "The two cyclists cover the total 90 miles in 3 hours, so their combined speed is 90/3 = 30 mph.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "If they were cycling at the same speed, each of them would be going 30/2 = 15 mph.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Starting from that point in the reasoning, to make their speeds differ by 8 mph we need to increase one speed by 4 mph and decrease the other by 4 mph.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "ANSWERS: 15+4 = 19 mph and 15-4 = 11 mph<br><BR>\n" );
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