Problema Solution
Tom and Tracy take off riding bikes in opposite directions. Tracy rides 4 mph faster than Tom. After 2 hours they are 34 miles apart. How far did Tom travel?
Answer provided by our tutors
let
v = the average speed of Tom
v + 4 = the average speed of Tracy
d = 34 mi the total distance between them
t = 2 h the time of the travel
since speed = distance/time we have distance = speed*time
Tom and Tracy travel in opposite directions thus the sum of the their distances passed is equal to the distance between them:
vt + (v+4)t = 34
v*2 + (v+4)*2 = 34
by solving we find:
v = 6.5 mph
click here to see the step by step solution of the equation:
Tom traveled: v*t = 6.5*2 = 13 miles.