Speed, Distance, Time Word Problem

Question

Sam leaves Bryson City at 12:00pm and begins driving toward Canton at 60 miles per hour. Karen leaves Canton one hour later, at 1:00pm, and drives toward Bryson City at 50 miles per hour. The total distance from Bryson City to Canton is 400 miles. Let x denote the number of hours after 12:00 that they pass each other.

a) Set up an equation in x that represents the solution to this problem.

b) Solve for x.

Answer 1

60x + 50(x-1) = 400

60x + 50x - 50 = 400

110x = 450

x = 45/11 = 4 and 1/11 hr = 4.09

1/11 * 60 = 60/11 = 5 and 5/11 min

5/11 * 60 = 300/11 = 27 and 3/11 sec

4 hours 5 min and 27 and 3/11 sec

60 * 4.09 = 245.45

50 * 3.09 = 154.54

4:05 and 27 and 3/11 sec PM =

16:05:27:27