Problema Solution
A life raft, set adrift from a sinking ship 150 miles offshore, travels directly toward a Coast Guard station at the rate of 5 miles per hour. At the time that the raft is set adrift, a rescue helicopter is dispatched from the Coast Guard station. If the helicopter's average speed is 90 miles per hour, how long will it take the helicopter to reach the life raft?
Answer provided by our tutors
The total distance to travel is 150 miles. Since the raft and helicopter are moving at the same time, the speed is effectively (90 + 5) = 95 miles per hour. Now simply use speed = distance / time:
95 = 150 / t
t = 150 / 95
t = 1.578 hours
t = 1 hour and 35 minutes