A car starts on a trip and travels at an average speed of 40 miles per hour. Three hours later, a second car starts on the same trip and travels at an average speed of 55 miles per hour.

Question

A car starts on a trip and travels at an average speed of 40 miles per hour. Three hours later, a second car starts on the same trip and travels at an average speed of 55 miles per hour.

a. Find the distance each vehicle has traveled when the second car has been on the road for t hours

first car

second car - 55t

b. use the result of part (a) to write the distance between the first car and the second car as a function of t.

d=

c. write the ratio of the distance the second car has traveled to the distance the first car has traveled as a function of t

Answer 1

Hello, Jared,

a. Find the distance each vehicle has traveled when the second car has been on the road for t hours

C1 = Car 1

C2 = Car 2

C1: 40t+120

C2: 55t

b. use the result of part (a) to write the distance between the first car and the second car as a function of t.

d₁ = Car 1

d₂ = Car 2

Distance, d, between C1 and C2 = d₁(t) - d₂(t)

c. write the ratio of the distance the second car has traveled to the distance the first car has traveled as a function of t

C1 = (40)*(t+3)

C2 = 55t

C2/C1 = (55t)/(40t+120)