SOLUTION: Two cars left Raleigh at the same time headed for Nashville. The Miata averages 65 mph while the Metro averages only 55 mph. In how many hours will they be 55 miles apart? I need

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Question 518264: Two cars left Raleigh at the same time headed for Nashville. The Miata averages 65 mph while the Metro averages only 55 mph. In how many hours will they be 55 miles apart?
I need help with the equation!
Answer by x24_math(1) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
To begin, we must start with an equation. Now since the answer is in hours (we want to know how many hours it takes to have the cars 55 miles apart)
we attach a variable h to the equation representing hours.
55h+%28Metro%29 and 65h+%28Miata%29
. Now since we want to known how long it will take for Metro and Miata to be 55 miles apart we write an equation
65h+-+55h+=+55
>>>>Note: the reason we subtract 65h from 55h is because 65h (Miata) will travel faster than 55h (Metro) and we want to find the "difference" between them.<<<<<
Now we can combine "like terms" or simply subtract the 65h from the 55h to get 10h to make:
10h=55
Next we divide both sides by 10 to get h by it self:
10h%2F10=55%2F10
Finally through some simple simplification we can figure out that the 10h%2F10 cancels out to be just h and the 55%2F10 can be rewritten as 5.5
Thus the answer is h=5.5
Or simply put, in five and a half hours Miata will be 55 miles ahead of Metro.