SOLUTION: Two cars start at the same place and time and travel in opposite directions. One car is traveling 15 kph faster than the other. After 5 hours, the two cars are 275 km apart. Find

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Question 127618: Two cars start at the same place and time and travel in opposite directions. One car is traveling 15 kph faster than the other. After 5 hours, the two cars are 275 km apart. Find the speed of each car
Found 2 solutions by stanbon, solver91311:
Answer by stanbon(75887) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Two cars start at the same place and time and travel in opposite directions. One car is traveling 15 kph faster than the other. After 5 hours, the two cars are 275 km apart. Find the speed of each car
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1st car DATA:
Rate = x kph ; Time = 5 hrs. ; Distance = rt = 5x km
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2nd car DATA:
Rate = x+15 kph ; time = 5 hrs. ; Distance = rt = 5(x+15) km
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EQUATION:
distance + distance = 275 km
5x + 5x+75 = 275
10x = 200
x = 20 kph (speed of 1st car)
x+15 = 35 kph (speed of the 2nd car)
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Cheers,
Stan H.

Answer by solver91311(24713) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
One car's rate is r, and then the other car's rate is r + 15. Their combined rate of speed, since they are travelling in opposite directions is r + (r + 15). If you were going 20 mph and I'm going 25 mph, the distance between us is increasing at the rate of 45 mph.

Using and the given values, we can say:

is the speed of the slower car, and is the speed of the faster car.

Check the answer:
, , and

Can you imagine a 5 hour car trip at 20 mph? Arrrrgh!!!