Need help with a meter word problem?

Question

The theif grabbed a cellphone and ran 6 meters per second straight down ocean ave. when he was 40 meters down the street the police officer took after him from the scene of the crime. The officer ran at a a rate of 10 meters per second . How long will it take for he officer to catch the thieft?

Answer 1

The police officer is running 10 m/s - 6 m/s = 4 m/s faster than the thief.  He has to close a 40 gap at 4 m/s:

 

DISTANCE = RATE* TIME

40 m = (4 m/s)*TIME

(40 m)/(4 m/s) = TIME

 

10 seconds = TIME