Question

Charlie and Violet met for lunch at a restaurant between Memphis and New Orleans. Charlie had left Memphis and drove 4.8 hours towards New Orleans. Violet had left New Orleans and drove 2 hours towards Memphis, at a speed 10 miles per hour faster than Charlie’s speed. The distance between Memphis and New Orleans is 394 miles. Find the speed of the two drivers.

Answer 1

Charlie 55 miles per hour

Violet 65 miles per hour

Explanation:

Charlie and Violet met for lunch at a restaurant between Memphis and New Orleans. Since, Charlie left Memphis and drove towards New Orleans, and Violet left New Orleans and drove towards Memphis, the total distance that they covered altogether is the total distance between Memphis and New Orleans.

It is given that the distance between Memphis and New Orleans is 394 miles. This means, the total distance both covered = 394 miles

Charlie drove for 4.8 hours and Violet drove for 2 hours. Let the speed of Charlie be x miles per hour. Since, the speed of Violet was 10 miles per hour faster than Charlies, the speed of charlie was (x + 10) miles per hour

Since, distance = speed multiplied by time

Distance covered by Charlie = 4.8x

Distance covered by Violet = 2(x + 10)

Altogether they covered 394 miles,

So,

394 = Distance covered by Charlie + Distance covered by Violet

394 = 4.8x + 2(x + 10)

394 = 4.8x + 2x + 20

374 = 6.8x

x = 55

Since, x represents the speed of Charlie, the speed of charlie was 55 miles per hour and speed of Violet was 65 miles per hour