Problema Solution
A passenger train travels at 60 mph and a freight train travels at 40 mph. It takes the passenger train 1.5 hours less to cover the same distance as the freight train. How long does it take each train to make the trip?
Answer provided by our tutors
let
v1 = 60 mph the speed of the passenger train
t1 = the time of the trip of the passenger train
v2 = 40 mph the speed of the freight train
t2 = the time of the trip of the freight train
it takes the passenger train 1.5 hours less to cover the same distance as the freight train
t1 = t2 - 1.5
since speed = distance/time => distance = speed*time
the trains are making the same distance thus we can write
v1*t1 = v2*t2
60t1 = 40t2 divide both sides by 20
(60/20)t1 = (40/20)t2
3t1 = 2t2
by solving the system of equations
t1 = t2 - 1.5
3t1 = 2t2
we find
t1 = 3 h
t2 = 4.5 h
click here to see the step by step solution of the system of equations
the passenger train traveled 3 hours.
the freight train traveled 4.5 hours.