SOLUTION: A passenger train can travel 325mi in the same amount of time a freight train takes to travel 200mi. If the speed of the passenger train is 25mi/h faster then the speed of the frei

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Question 65578: A passenger train can travel 325mi in the same amount of time a freight train takes to travel 200mi. If the speed of the passenger train is 25mi/h faster then the speed of the freight train, find the speed of each.
Hos can this problem make sense with out knowing the actual time traveled or the speed?
Answer by 303795(602) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Freight train speed =x so the speed of the passenger train is x + 25
Time = distance/speed so
325%2F%28x%2B25%29=200%2Fx
Multiply each side by x
325x%2F%28x%2B25%29=200
Multiply each side by (x+25)
325x=200%28x%2B25%29
325x=200x%2B5000%29
Subtract 200x from each side
125x=5000%29
x=5000/125
=40 mile per hour and the passenger train speed is 65 miles per hour
(A non algebra method would take the idea that the passenger train travels an extra 125 miles and is 25 miles per hour faster so the journey would take 5 hours. The speeds would therefore be 325/5 = 65 miles per hour and 200/5=40 miles per hour)