Question 583403: A train leaves Chicago heading for New Orleans traveling at a constant 50 mph. Assume a perfectly straight track and the distance to New Orleans to be exactly 1000 miles away. At the exact time the train leaves, an eagle leaves New Orleans headed for Chicago at a constant 75 mph and following the same tracks the train is on. When the eagle meets the train, he immediately reverses direction and heads back to New Orleans, whereupon when arriving at New Orleans he immediately turns back around and flies back to the train again. Again, when meeting the train, he turns back again to New Orleans and keeps repeating this until they both reach New Orleans. Assuming there is no delay in reversing direction for the bird (upon reaching the train, he immediately turns and is headed back at exactly 75 mph), how far will the bird have flown by the time the train reaches New Orleans? Show your work.
Found 2 solutions by richard1234, ankor@dixie-net.com:
Answer by richard1234(7193)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website! Ah, the very common trick problem. Most students would try adding up each component of the distance, obtaining an infinite series. This is doable, but the trick is to realize that the train takes 20 hours, and the eagle flies for 20 hours at 75 mph. Therefore the eagle flies 75*20 = 1500 miles.
Answer by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740)  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website! A train leaves Chicago heading for New Orleans traveling at a constant 50 mph. Assume a perfectly straight track and the distance to New Orleans to be exactly 1000 miles away. At the exact time the train leaves, an eagle leaves New Orleans headed for Chicago at a constant 75 mph and following the same tracks the train is on. When the eagle meets the train, he immediately reverses direction and heads back to New Orleans, whereupon when arriving at New Orleans he immediately turns back around and flies back to the train again. Again, when meeting the train, he turns back again to New Orleans and keeps repeating this until they both reach New Orleans. Assuming there is no delay in reversing direction for the bird (upon reaching the train, he immediately turns and is headed back at exactly 75 mph), how far will the bird have flown by the time the train reaches New Orleans? Show your work.
:
Find how long it takes the train to reach N.O
 = 20 hrs
:
Find how far an eagle can fly going 75 mph for 20 hrs
20*75 = 1500 miles
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