Problema Solution

Bella can run one mile in 18 minutes. Jeff can run one mile in 15 minutes. If Jeff gives Bella a 1 minute head start, how long will it take before Jeff catches up to Bella? How far will each have run?

Answer provided by our tutors

distance = speed * time


let 't' represent the time in minutes Bella ran, then 't-1' represents the time in minutes Jeff ran


Bella speed, in miles per minutes:

1/18

Jeff's speed, in miles per minutes:

1/15


they both run the same distance, so we set their speed * time expressions equal to each other

(1/18)t = (1/15)(t-1)

solving for 't' we have t=6


Bella runs for 6 minutes, so Jeff catches up to her after he runs for 5 minutes


distance = 1/18 * 6 = 1/3


they run a distance of 1/3 of a mile