SOLUTION: A freight train leaves a sterling traveling east at 40 miles per hour. Two hours later a passenger train also headed east, leaves Sterling on a parallel track at 60 miles per hour.

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Question 308214: A freight train leaves a sterling traveling east at 40 miles per hour. Two hours later a passenger train also headed east, leaves Sterling on a parallel track at 60 miles per hour. How FAR are the trains from Sterling will the passenger train catches up to the freight train.
Found 2 solutions by Alan3354, mananth:
Answer by Alan3354(69443) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
A freight train leaves a sterling traveling east at 40 miles per hour. Two hours later a passenger train also headed east, leaves Sterling on a parallel track at 60 miles per hour. How FAR are the trains from Sterling will the passenger train catches up to the freight train.
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In 2 hours, the freight train goes 80 miles (2*40)
The other train gains on the freight train at 20 mph (60-40)
The 2nd train catches the 1st in 4 hours (80/20)
4*60 = 240 miles
6*40 = 240 miles

Answer by mananth(16946) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
A freight train leaves a sterling traveling east at 40 miles per hour. Two hours later a passenger train also headed east, leaves Sterling on a parallel track at 60 miles per hour. How FAR are the trains from Sterling will the passenger train catches up to the freight train.
Freight train rate = 40 mph
in 2 hours it will have traveled 80 miles.
Let this point be A
Let the point they meet be Y
Let the distance from A to B be x miles
.
Passenger train rate = 60 mph
It has to travel x+80 miles to catch up with the freight train
The time taken by this train to go to B will be x+80/60
.
When the freight train is at point A passenger train is at the sterling.
The freight train travels x miles in the same time as the passenger train takes to travel x+80 miles
..
time taken by freight train to travel x miles = x/40
.
x/40 = x+80/60
60x=40(x+80)
60x=40x + 3200
20x= 3200
x=160 miles
The point they meet is x+80 miles
=160+80 miles = 240 miles