SOLUTION: One car travels 8mph faster than another. While the slower one goes 14mi, the other goes 17.2mi. Find the speed of each car.

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Question 313161: One car travels 8mph faster than another. While the slower one goes 14mi, the other goes 17.2mi. Find the speed of each car.
Found 2 solutions by texttutoring, OmniMaestra:
Answer by texttutoring(324) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Use the formula d=vt, where d=distance, v=velocity (or speed) and t=time

Car 1: v1 = v2 + 8, d1=17.2 miles
Car 2: v2 = v2, d2 = 14 miles

Assume they travel for the same amount of time:
d=vt
t=d/v
d1/v1 = d2/v2
17.2/(v2+8) = 14/v2

Cross multiply to find:
17.2*v2 = 14*v2 + 112
3.2*v2 = 112
v2 = 112/3.2
v2 = 35 miles per hour

The first car travels 8mph faster, so it travels 43 mph.

Answer by OmniMaestra(21) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Rate X time = distance
rt=d
Start by noticing which of the three elements are the same. In this problem the two cars are going different speeds and travelling different distances but they are both travelling for the same amount of time. So rearrange the formula:

divide both sides by r:

the new formula is
Now lets work the problem:

Now cross multiply:
Distribute:
Subtract 14x from both sides:

divide by 3.2