SOLUTION: mark reads at an average of 30 pages per hour, while mindy reads an average of 40 pages per hour. if mark starts reading a novel at 4:30 pm and mindy starts reading the same novel

mark reads at an average of 30 pages per hour, 
while mindy reads an average of 40 pages per 
hour. if mark starts reading a novel at 4:30 
pm and mindy starts reading the same novel 
5:20 pm, what time will they be reading on the 
same page?

Here is a problem that has exactly the same answer:

Mark rides his lightweight motorcycle at 
30 miles per hour, while Mindy rides her 
lightweight motorcycle at 40 miles per hour.  
If mark start out at 4:30 pm and Mindy starts 
out on the same road from the same starting 
point at 5:20 pm, what time will Mindy catch 
up with Mark?

Make this chart:

         Distance   Rate   Time   
Mark                                          
Mindy                         

Let t = the number of hours after 4:30 when 
Mindy catches Mark. So fill in t as Mark's time, 
since he started at 4:30

         Distance   Rate   Time   
Mark                         t
Mindy                            

Fill in their rates of 30 mph and 40 mph

         Distance   Rate   Time   
Mark                 30      t
Mindy                40           

Now Mindy did not travel as long as Mark. It
is 50 minutes from 4:30 to 5:20, 50 minutes
is 50/60 or 5/6 of an hour, so her time is
5/6 less than Mark's or t-5/6. So fill that
in for Mindy's time:

         Distance   Rate   Time   
Mark                 30      t
Mindy                40    t-

Now fill in the distances using D = RT

         Distance   Rate   Time   
Mark       30t       30      t
Mindy    40(t-)   40    t-


Mindy catches Mark when their
distances are equal. So the equation
is

   30t = 40(t-)

Can you solve that? If not post again 
asking how.

Solution: 10/3 hr. or 3 hours or 
3 hours 20 minutes.   

Answer to problem: 3 hours 20 minutes after
4:30PM is 7:50PM 

That's the same answer as for the book reading.

Edwin