SOLUTION: Two towns are 50km apart. Tom starts from town A and travels 50km/h towards town B. Clarrie starts from town B at the same time that Tom started, and travels at 40k/h towards town

Algebra ->  Human-and-algebraic-language -> SOLUTION: Two towns are 50km apart. Tom starts from town A and travels 50km/h towards town B. Clarrie starts from town B at the same time that Tom started, and travels at 40k/h towards town       Log On


   

Question 956593: Two towns are 50km apart. Tom starts from town A and travels 50km/h towards town B. Clarrie starts from town B at the same time that Tom started, and travels at 40k/h towards town A. After how many minutes do they meet?
Found 2 solutions by josmiceli, amarjeeth123:
Answer by josmiceli(19441) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
You can think of this as one of them standing still
and the other moving at the sum of their speeds
+50+=+%28+50+%2B+40+%29%2At+
+50+=+90t+
+t+=+5%2F9+ hrs
convert to minutes:
+%285%2F9%29%2A60+=+%285%2F3%29%2A20+
+%285%2F3%29%2A20+=+100%2F3+
They meet in 33.333 min
------------------------
check:
+d%5B1%5D+=+50t+
+d%5B1%5D+=+50%2A%285%2F9%29+
--------------------
+d%5B2%5D+=+40t+
+d%5B2%5D+=+40%2A%285%2F9%29+
---------------------
+d%5B1%5D+%2B+d%5B2%5D+=+50+
+250%2F9+%2B+200%2F9+=+50+
+250+%2B+200+=+9%2A50+
+450+=+450+
OK

Answer by amarjeeth123(570) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Let us assume that they meet at a point P which is x km from point A.
Distance of point B from P is (50-x) km.
Let the time in which they meet be t hr.
Distance=Speed* time
Tom starts from town A and travels 50km/h towards town B.
x=50t..........equation 1
Clarrie starts from town B at the same time that Tom started, and travels at 40k/h towards town A.
50-x=40t.......equation 2
Adding equations 1 and 2 we get
50-x+x=50t+40t
50=90t
t=50/90 hr=(50*60)/90=33.33 minutes
They meet in 33.33 minutes.