Two trains 500 miles apart accidentally are on the same track heading toward each other. The passenger train is traveling 80 mph

Question

4 years ago

9

Two trains 500 miles apart accidentally are on the same track heading toward each other. The passenger train is traveling 80 mph

while the freight train is traveling 40 mph. A dispatcher discovers the error and warns them 1 minute before they were to collide. How far apart, in miles, were they when they were warned?

Mathematics

1 answer:

Natalka [10] · Answer 1 · 2022-02-17T21:11:17+03:00

Natalka [10]4 years ago

3 0

Answer:

2 miles

Step-by-step explanation:

Their combined speed (speed of closure) is 80 mph + 40 mph = 120 mph.

120 mi/h = 120 mi/(60 min) = 2 mi/min

The distance between the trains at the 1-minute mark is ...

(1 min) · (2 mi/min) = 2 mi

They were warned when two miles apart.