SOLUTION: A train leaves watsonville at noon traveling north at 44 mph. One hour later, another train, going 52mph, travels north on a parallel track. How many hours will the second train tr

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Question 309712: A train leaves watsonville at noon traveling north at 44 mph. One hour later, another train, going 52mph, travels north on a parallel track. How many hours will the second train travel before it overtakes the first train?Show work please.
Answer by mananth(16946) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
First train rate = 44 mph
in 1 hour it will have traveled 44 miles.Let the point where first train is after 1 hour be A
Let the point they meet be B
Let the distance from A to B be x miles
.
Second train rate = 52 mph
It has to travel x+44 miles to catch up with the first train
The time taken by this train to go to B will be x+44/52
.
The first train travels x miles in the same time as the second train takes to travel x+44 miles
..
time taken by first train to travel x miles = x/44
.
x/44 = x+44/52
52x=44(x+44)
52x=44x + 2176
8x= 2176
x=272 miles
The point they meet is x+80 miles
=272+44 miles = 316 miles
.
distance traveled by second train when ot catches up with first train = 352 mile
speed of this train = 52 mph
time taken = 316/52= 6 hours.
After 6 hours it catches up with the first train