Question

Two cars leave home, driving in opposite directions. One car is 10 miles per hour faster than the other. After 4.5 hours, they are 603 miles apart. How fast are they each driving?

Answer 1

so one car is going x miles per hour, and the other is going x+10 miles per hour. After 4.5 hours they have traveled 603 miles. so 4.5x + 4.5(x+10) = 603. 4.5(x + x + 10) = 603 2x + 10 = 134 2x = 124 x = 62 (one car) x + 10 = 72 (the other car)

Answer 2

The speed of one car is 62 miles per hour and speed of other can is 72 miles per hour.

Explanation:

Let x miles per hour be the speed of one car.

We have been given that speed of the other car is 10 miles per hour faster than the first car.

So the speed of other car would be
`x+10` miles per hour.

After 4.5 hours, they are 603 miles apart.

`\text{Distance}=\text{Speed}*\text{Time}`

`603=(x+x+10)* 4.5`

`603=(2x+10)* 4.5`

`603=9x+45`

Switch sides:

`9x+45=603`

`9x+45-45=603-45`

`9x=558`

`(9x)/(9)=(558)/(9)`

`x=62`

Therefore, the speed of one car is 62 miles per hour.

The speed of other car would be
`x+10\Rightarrow 62+10=72`

Therefore, the speed of other car is 72 miles per hour.