Question

A puppy and a kitten are 180 meters apart when they see each other. The puppy can run at a speed of 25 m/sec, while the kitten can run at a speed of 20 m/sec.

How soon will the puppy catch the kitten if the puppy starts running after the kitten?

Answer 1

Make two equations representing the position of each animal, p and k, for the puppy and kitten respectively.

p=25t and k=180+20t

The puppy will catch the kitten when p=k so we can say:

25t=180+20t subtract 20t from both sides

5t=180 divide both sides by 5

t=36

So the puppy will catch the kitten after 36 seconds.