SOLUTION: Please help me set this up. At precisely noon, one plane leaves New York, heading for Orlando, and another leaves Orlando, heading for New York. The distance from New York to Or

Algebra ->  Customizable Word Problem Solvers  -> Travel -> SOLUTION: Please help me set this up. At precisely noon, one plane leaves New York, heading for Orlando, and another leaves Orlando, heading for New York. The distance from New York to Or      Log On

Ad: Over 600 Algebra Word Problems at edhelper.com


   



Question 889025: Please help me set this up.
At precisely noon, one plane leaves New York, heading for Orlando, and another leaves Orlando, heading for New York. The distance from New York to Orlando is 1300 miles. The plane from New York flies at 450 Mph and the Orlando plane flies at 490 mph. When will the planes be 125 miles apart.

Found 3 solutions by josgarithmetic, josmiceli, richwmiller:
Answer by josgarithmetic(39616) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
t the time variable

______________speed________time________distance
NY to O_______450___________t___________450t
O to NY_______490___________t___________490t
Total Trip______________________________1300
Specified Incomplete_________________1300-125


The important detail to watch is that when the planes are 125 miles apart, the sum of their distances traveled is 1300-125=1175 miles. The simpler detail is that the planes approach eachother at 450%2B490=940 miles per hour.

You would have the equation highlight%28450t%2B490t=1175%29 and just solve for t in hours.

Answer by josmiceli(19441) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
An easy way to do this is to think of one
of the planes as standing still and the other approaching at
the sum of their speeds
The equation shows the time, +t+, when the
planes are +125+ miles apart
+1300+-+125+=+%28+450+%2B+490+%29%2At+
+1175+=+940t+
+t+=+1.25+
One and a quarter hours after noon is 1:15 PM
---------------
check:
+d%5B1%5D+=+450t%5B1%5D+
+d%5B1%5D+=+450%2A1.25+
+d%5B1%5D+=+562.5+
and
+d%5B2%5D+=+490t%5B2%5D+
+d%5B2%5D+=+490%2A1.25+
+d%5B2%5D+=+612.5+
-------------------
+d%5B1%5D+%2B+d%5B2%5D+=+562.5+%2B+612.5+
+d%5B1%5D+%2B+d%5B2%5D+=+1175+
+1300+-+1175+=+125+ miles
OK

Answer by richwmiller(17219) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
450t+490t=1300-125
940t=1175
t=1.25 hours