SOLUTION: Hi! I have a problem for my college algebra class that I am not quite sure how to set up. It says: Outside a city, a highway and a railroad track run parallel to each other for

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Question 1128183: Hi!
I have a problem for my college algebra class that I am not quite sure how to set up. It says:
Outside a city, a highway and a railroad track run parallel to each other for many miles. If a car starts down the highway at 55 miles per hour and a train leaves the city 45 minutes later going 70 miles per hour in the same direction, how long will the train take to catch up to the car?
Thank you!
Answer by ikleyn(52810)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
.
Read my introductory lessons on Travel & Distance
    - Travel and Distance problems
    - Travel and Distance problems for two bodies moving in opposite directions
    - Travel and Distance problems for two bodies moving in the same direction (catching up) (*)
in this site.

They are written specially for you.

You will find the solutions of many similar problems there.

Read them and learn once and for all from these lessons on how to solve simple Travel and Distance problems.

Become an expert in this area.

Pay special attention to the last lesson in the list, marked (*).

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Please let me know if this info is enough to you.

If not, then later today I will give you a complete solution.

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The answer is (one line solution) = = = hours = 2 hours and 45 minutes.

miles is the head-start distance; (70-55) = 15 miles per hour is the relative speed.