SOLUTION: Hi, can you help me with this problem? Two cyclists, 87 mi apart, start riding towards each other at the same time. One cycles twice as fast as the other. If they meet 2 hr late

Algebra ->  Equations -> SOLUTION: Hi, can you help me with this problem? Two cyclists, 87 mi apart, start riding towards each other at the same time. One cycles twice as fast as the other. If they meet 2 hr late      Log On


   

Question 119837: Hi, can you help me with this problem?
Two cyclists, 87 mi apart, start riding towards each other at the same time. One cycles twice as fast as the other. If they meet 2 hr later, at what average speed is each cyclist traveling?
mi/hr (slower cyclist)
mi/hr (faster cyclist)
Answer by josmiceli(19441) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
They are 87 miles apart and they meet somewhere in the middle
I'll call the distance covered by the slower cyclist x
and the distance covered by the faster cyclist 87-x
Notice when I add these distances, I get x+%2B+%2887-x%29+=+87
as I should
I'll call the speed of the slower cyclist s, Then the speed
of the faster cyclist would be 2s
The elapsed time for both of them is 2 hrs
Now I write distance = speed x time for both of them
x+=+s%2A2
87+-+x+=+2s%2A2
Substitute 2s for x in the 2nd equation
87+-+2s+=+4s
6s+=+87
s+=+14.5
2s+=+29
So, the slower cyclist's average speed is 14.5 mi/hr
and the faster cyclist's speed is 29 mi/hr
check answers
87+=+s%2A2+%2B+2s%2A2
87+=+14.5%2A2+%2B+29%2A2
87+=+29+%2B+58
87+=+87
OK