Question 796538: Two men starting at a point on a circular 1-mile race track walk in opposite directions with uniform speeds and meet in 6 minutes, but if they walk in the same direction, it requires one hr for the faster walker to gain a lap. What is the rate of the slower walker?
Answer by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website! Let a = speed of faster walker
Let b = speed of the slower
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6 min to .1 hrs
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Write an distance equation for each statement:
dist = time * speed
Two men starting at a point on a circular 1-mile race track walk in opposite directions with uniform speeds and meet in 6 minutes,
.1(a + b] = 1
multiply both sides by 10
a + b = 10
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but if they walk in the same direction, it requires one hr for the faster walker to gain a lap. What is the rate of the slower walker?
1(a-b) = 1
a - b = 1
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Use elimination here
a + b = 10
a - b = 1
--------------Addition eliminates b, find a
2a = 11
a = 5.5 mph is a's speed
but they want the slow guy's speed, use the 1st equation
5.5 + b = 10
b = 10 - 5.5
b = 4.5 mph is the slow guys speed
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Check this in the 2nd equation
5.5 - 4.5 = 1
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