Question

A train left for London, and after 9 hours later, a car traveling 80 miles per hour tried catching up to the train. After 3 hours, the car caught up.What was the train's average speed

Answer 1

The train's average speed is 20 mph, calculated using the time taken for a car to catch up to it after covering the same distance at a speed of 80 mph.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the train's average speed, we should look at the time difference between when the car started and when the train started, which is 9 hours. The car caught up to the train after 3 hours of travel at a speed of 80 miles per hour. The distance the car traveled to catch up to the train is therefore:

Distance = Speed × Time = 80 mph × 3h = 240 miles.

This distance is also what the train covered in 9 hours + 3 hours = 12 hours. Therefore, the train's average speed can be calculated as:

Average Speed of the Train = Total Distance / Total Time = 240 miles / 12 hours = 20 mph.

Answer 2

20 miles per hour

Step-by-step explanation:

Given that the train left for London, and after 9 hours later, a car traveling 80 miles per hour tried catching up to the train. After 3 hours, the car caught up

Which means that the car travelled the same distance in 3 hours as the train travelled in 9 + 3 = 12 hours

Let the distance be d

Given the speed of car is 80 miles per hour

We know that
`speed=(distance )/(time)`

`80=(d)/(3)`

d = 240 miles

Now for the train Average speed = total distance / total time taken

Average speed of the train =
`(240)/(12)` = 20 miles per hour