Speed problem math

Question

There are 10 kilometres between Toy Town and Candy Land. A train carrying toys leaves Toy Town for Candy Land travelling at a rate of 4km/h. At the same time, a train carrying candy leaves Candy Land for Toy Town at a rate of 6km/hr. Four Kilometres from Toy Town is a fuel stop. Which train reaches the fuel stop first?

Answer 1

Draw a sketch:

If there are 4 km from the fuel stop to Toy Town, then there must be 6 km between Candy Land and the fuel stop.

time = distance/rate

So the time it takes the train leaving Toy Town to get to the fuel stop is 4/4 = 1 hour

Calculate the time it takes the train leaving Candy Land to get there and compare the times to see who gets there first.

Answer 2

Toy Town Train travels 4km per hour, it would only take one hour for it to get to the fuel station since the values are the same (4km/4km = 1 hour)

Since we know its 4km from Toy Town to the fuel station, and there are 10km between Toy Town and Candy Land altogether - you can subtract to find the distance.

10km - 4km = 6km

Total Distance - Distance From Fuel Station To Toy Town = Distance Candy Land Train Must Travel

If the train from Candy Land has to travel 6km at the rate of 6km per hour, then we can do the same process we did for the train from Toy Town (6km/6km = 1 hour)

It would take both trains one hour to get to the fuel station.