SOLUTION: Two cars left an intersection at the same time. One traveled north. The other traveled 6 miles farther, but to the easy. How far did the car going east travel when the distance bet

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Question 568273: Two cars left an intersection at the same time. One traveled north. The other traveled 6 miles farther, but to the easy. How far did the car going east travel when the distance between the two cars was 30 miles?
Answer by mananth(16946) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
they are traveling at right angles to each other.
At any given instant they form a right triangle with their starting point

distance of one from starting point= x North bound
other = x+6 East bound

X^2 + (x+ 6 }^2 = 30 ^2
*
X^2 + X^2+ 12 x + 36 = 900

2 X^2 + 12 x -864 = 0
/2
x^2+6x -432
x^2+24x-18x-432=0
x(x+24)-18(x+24)=0
(x+24)(x-18)=0
x=24 OR 18
x=18 distance of north bound from starting point.
ignore negative since distance cannot be negative
distance of east bound will be = 18+6 = 24 miles from the starting point