Question 621342
a car and a train leave station A at the same time for station B, 220 miles away.
 if the speed of the car averages twice the speed of the train and the car arrives 5.5 hours before the train, find the speed of the car and the speed of the train.
:
Let s = speed of the train
then
2s = speed of the car
:
Write a time equation, time = dist/speed
:
Train time - car time = 5.5 hrs
{{{220/s}}} - {{{220/(2s)}}} = 5.5
Reduce the 2nd fraction
{{{220/s}}} - {{{110/(s)}}} = 5.5
Subtract like terms
{{{110/s}}} = 5.5
110 = 5.5s
s = {{{110/5.5}}}
s = 20 mph is the speed of the train
You can find the speed of the car, check solutions by finding the time of each