Two airplanes leave at the same time.

Question

Two airplanes leave Detroit at the same time. The Boeing 737 flies due east toward New York, and the DC9 flies due south toward Atlanta. The two aircraft travel at constant speeds with the Boeing 737 flying 50 mph faster than the DC9. After flying 1.5 hours, the airplanes are 870 miles apart. How fast are the two airplanes flying?

Answer 1

The distance flown by the 737 is 1.5(x + 50), or 1.5x + 75

The distance flown by the DC3 is 1.5x

(1.5x)² + (1.5x + 75)² = 879²            Right triangle, Pythagoras

 

Can you solve for x?