SOLUTION: Joan and Jim run around the same circular track, starting together and running in the same direction. Joan takes 3 minutes to complete one circuit of the track while Jim takes 7.5

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Question 1149023: Joan and Jim run around the same circular track, starting together and running in the same direction. Joan takes 3 minutes to complete one circuit of the track while Jim takes 7.5 minutes to run the same distance. What is the value of x if Joan passes Jim every x minutes?
Answer by ikleyn(52770) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
.

The key to the problem' solution is that

        Joan passes Jim every time, when he covers one circumference more distance than Jim.


Solution

Joan runs  1%2F3   of the circular track length in one minute.

Jim  runs  1%2F7.5 of the circular track length in one minute.

Every minute, the distance between Joan and Jim increases by  1%2F3 - 1%2F7.5  of the track length.

          //  assuming the distance is measured along the circumference in the same direction as they run.


    1%2F3 - 1%2F7.5 = 1%2F3 - 2%2F15 = 5%2F15 - 2%2F15 = 3%2F15 = 1%2F5  of the track length.


Hence, every 5 minutes Joan covers 1 track's circumference length more than Jim.


Making one circumference length more is exactly the condition for Joan to pass Jim.


Hence, the answer to the problem is 5 minutes.


Again, the answer to the problem is x= 5 minutes.

Solved.

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Those who have enough brain cells in their heads,  MOMENTARILY  will see analogies between the given problem and
the  "joint work problem",  when one pipe fills the tank,  while the other pipe "drains" it.