- 48 seconds
- 3624 feet
========================================================
Explanation:
x = number of seconds that elapse
y = altitude (aka height) of the plane
The equation for plane A is
y = 20.25x+2652
because it starts off at 2652 ft in the air, and then adds on 20.25 feet per second which is what the 20.25x describes
The equation for plane B is
y = 75.5x
The y intercept is zero because plane B starts on the ground, aka height 0.
------------------
The system of equations is
If we want to know when they'll reach the same height (y), then we can set the two right hand sides equal to each other and solve for x.
75.5x = 20.25x+2652
75.5x-20.25x = 2652
55.25x = 2652
x = (2652)/(55.25)
x = 48
The two planes reach the same altitude at exactly <u>48 seconds</u>
That altitude is <u>3624 feet</u> because
- y = 20.25*x + 2652 = 20.25*48+2652 = 3624
- y = 75.5*x = 75.5*48 = 3624
Notice I plugged x = 48 into each equation and I got the same y value of y = 3624. This helps confirm the answers.