Problema Solution

a cattle train left Bangalore traveling west four hours before a diesel train. The diesel train traveled in the opposite direction going 20 mph faster then the cattle train for seven hours after wich time were 986 mi. apart. What was the cattle trains speed?

Answer provided by our tutors

let


c = the speed of the cattle train, c>0

7 + 4 = 11 hours the time of the travel of the cattle trin

d = the speed of the diesel train, d>0

t = 7 hours the time of the travel of the diesel train


The diesel train traveled in the opposite direction going 20 mph faster then the cattle train


d = 20 + c


since distance = speed*time and the travel in opposite direction the sum of the distance that each of the trains made is equal to 986 mi:


11c + 7d = 986


plug d = 20 + c into the last equation


11c + 7(20 + c) = 986


by solving we find


c = 47 mph


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the cattle train's speed was 47 mph.