SOLUTION: Two cars leave an intersection. One car travels north; the other east. When the car traveling north had gone 9 miles, the distance between the cars was 3 miles more than the distan
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Question 222687: Two cars leave an intersection. One car travels north; the other east. When the car traveling north had gone 9 miles, the distance between the cars was 3 miles more than the distance traveled by the car heading east. How far had the east bound car traveled? Answer by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website! Two cars leave an intersection.
One car travels north; the other east.
When the car traveling north had gone 9 miles, the distance between the cars
was 3 miles more than the distance traveled by the car heading east.
How far had the east bound car traveled?
:
let x = distance traveled by the eastbound car
:
Given that the distance between the cars = (x+3)
:
This is a pythag problem; a^2 + b^2 = c^2
:
9^2 + x^2 = (x+3)^2
FOIL
81 + x^2 = x^2 + 6x + 9
:
81 - 9 = x^2 - x^2 + 6x
:
72 = 6x
x =
x = 12 mi traveled by the eastbound car
;
:
Check solution
9^2 + 12^2 = 15^2
81 + 144 = 225
