document.write( "Question 120711: word problem: Bob climbed down a ladder from his roof, while Rob climbed up another ladder next to him. Each ladder had 30 rungs. Their friend Jill recorded the following info:
\n" ); document.write( "Bob went down 2 rungs every second, Rob went up 1 rung every second.
\n" ); document.write( "At some point they were at the same hight, what rung were they on. I know the answer is ten, but I can't come up with the 2 equations that I need to get the answer. We are working on finding points of intersection. Can you help me? Thank!
\n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #88512 by bucky(2189)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Let H represent the height of the individuals in rungs and t represent the time in seconds that
\n" ); document.write( "passes while they climb.
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "Bob starts at rung 30 and goes down at a rate of -2 rungs per second. So the equation for
\n" ); document.write( "Bob's height is:
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "H = -2*t + 30
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "Meanwhile, Rob starts at rung 0 and goes up at a rate of +1 rung per second. So the equation
\n" ); document.write( "for Rob's height is:
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "H = t + 0 = t
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "You are interested in finding the height (in rungs) where the two will be standing on
\n" ); document.write( "the same rung. Since the two heights are the same, we can set the right sides of our two
\n" ); document.write( "height equations equal. So we can say that:
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "-2*t + 30 = t
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "To solve this equation for t, first get rid of the 30 on the left side by subtracting
\n" ); document.write( "30 from both sides of the equation. This subtraction converts the equation to:
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "-2*t = t - 30
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "Next get rid of the t on the right side by subtracting t from both sides. The equation then
\n" ); document.write( "becomes:
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "-3*t = -30
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "Solve for t by dividing both sides of this equation by -3 to find that:
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "t = -30/-3 = 10 seconds
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "In 10 seconds Rob will have climbed to rung number 10 because he climbs at 1 rung per
\n" ); document.write( "second. And in 10 seconds at a rate of 2 rungs per second Bob will climb down 20 rungs. But
\n" ); document.write( "Bob started on rung 30 so he will be at rung 10 also because 30 - 20 = 10.
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "Hope this helps you to understand the problem a little better.
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" );