SOLUTION: Two cars take off from a starting line heading in the same direction. One car is traveling at 40 mph and the other at 55 mph. How much time must pass before the cars are 5 miles

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Question 77685: Two cars take off from a starting line heading in the same direction. One car is traveling at 40 mph and the other at 55 mph. How much time must pass before the cars are 5 miles apart.
Answer by funmath(2933) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Two cars take off from a starting line heading in the same direction. One car is traveling at 40 mph and the other at 55 mph. How much time must pass before the cars are 5 miles apart.
Distance=rate*time highlight%28d=rt%29
The distance of the car going 40 mph for t time is: 40t
The distance of the car going 55 mph for the same amount of time t is: 55t
We want to know when the faster car has gone 5 miles more than the slower car:
55t=40t+5
55t-40t=40t-40t+5
15t=5
15t/5=5/15
t=1/3
They'll be 5 miles apart in 1/3 an hour.
An hour is 60 minutes, so 1/3(60)=20 minutes
Happy Calculating!!!