SOLUTION: Two buses leave towns 484 kilometers apart at the same time and travel toward each other. One bus travels 18 km/h faster than the other. If they meet in 2 hours, what is the rate o

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Question 1192495: Two buses leave towns 484 kilometers apart at the same time and travel toward each other. One bus travels 18 km/h faster than the other. If they meet in 2 hours, what is the rate of each bus.
Found 3 solutions by josgarithmetic, ikleyn, greenestamps:
Answer by josgarithmetic(39614) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Fast bus, r+18
Slow bus, r
2 hours

%28r%2B18%2Br%29%282%29=484
.
.
.

Answer by ikleyn(52756) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
.
Two buses leave towns 484 kilometers apart at the same time and travel toward each other.
One bus travels 18 km/h faster than the other. If they meet in 2 hours, what is the rate of each bus.
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Let x be the average rate of the slower bus, in kilometers per hour.

Then the rate of the other base is (x+18) km/h.


One bus' traveled  distance is  2x kilometers.

The other bus' traveled distance is 2*(x+18) kilometers.


The total distance equation is

    2x + 2*(x+18) = 484  kilometers.


Simplify and find x

    2x + 2x + 36 = 484

       4x        = 484 - 36

       4x        =    448

        x        =    448/4 = 112.


ANSWER.  The slower bus rate is  112 km/h.  The faster bus rate is  112+18 = 130 km/h.


CHECK.   112*2 + 130*2 = 484 kilometers, the total distance.   ! Precisely correct !

Solved.

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For simple Travel & Distance problems,  see introductory lessons
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    - 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.

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Answer by greenestamps(13196) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!


A somewhat informal solution, using a problem-solving "trick"....

They meet in 2 hours after being 484km apart; their combined speed is 484/2 = 242 km/h.

If they were traveling at the same speed, the rate of each would be 242/2=121 km/h.

For the difference in their speeds to be 18 km/h, one of them must have been traveling 9 km/h faster than 121 km/h and the other must have been traveling 9 km/h slower than 121 km/h.

ANSWERS: The speeds of the two buses were 121+9 = 130 km/h and 121-9 = 112 km/h.