Question 426000
The key is to find out how much of a head start the
accountant has. He gets a 1 hour head start at 50 mi/hr
{{{ d[1] = 50*1 }}}
{{{ d[1] = 50 }}} mi is his head start
Now start a stopwatch when his boss leaves, and call
{{{t}}} the time when they meet at the station.
Let {{{d}}} = the distance the boss has to travel
{{{ d - 50 }}} will be the distance the accountant has to travel
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For the accountant:
(1) {{{ d - 50 = 50t }}}
For the boss:
(2) {{{ d = 60t }}}
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Substitute (1) into (2)
(2) {{{60t - 50 = 50t }}}
{{{ 10t = 50 }}}
{{{ t = 5 }}} hrs
Plug this back into (2)
(2) {{{ d = 60*5 }}}
{{{ d = 300 }}}
This is the entire distance that the boss has to travel,
so the towns are 300 miles apart
check answer:
The accountant goes {{{d - 50 = 250 }}} miles in {{{t}} hrs
(1) {{{ d - 50 = 50t }}}
(1) {{{ 250 = 50t }}} 
{{{ t = 250/50 }}}
{{{ t = 5 }}} hrs
OK