SOLUTION: A passenger train and a freight train leave San Jose at 3PM, traveling in the same direction. The passenger train is going three times as fast as the freight train. At 6PM they are

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Question 1018587: A passenger train and a freight train leave San Jose at 3PM, traveling in the same direction. The passenger train is going three times as fast as the freight train. At 6PM they are 240 miles apart. How fast is each travelling?
Thx for helping!

Answer by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
A passenger train and a freight train leave San Jose at 3PM, traveling in the same direction.
The passenger train is going three times as fast as the freight train.
At 6PM they are 240 miles apart. How fast is each travelling?
:
From the given information we know their travel time = 3 hrs (3pm to 6pm)
:
let s = the speed of the freight
then
3s = speed of the passenger
:
Write a distance equation; dist = time * speed
:
Pass dist - freight dist = 240 mi
3(3s) - 3s = 240
9s - 3s = 240
6s = 240
s = 240/6
s = 40 mph is the freight
:
You can find the speed of the passenger