Answer:
The two particles will meet after 50 seconds
Distance traveled by the first particle = 1225 cm
Distance traveled by the second particle = 625 cm
Step-by-step explanation:
For the first partiicle
The sequence representing the distance traveled after every 2 seconds is:
97, 93, 89, .........
The common difference, d = 93 - 97 = 89 - 93
d = -4
The distance traveled in the first two seconds, a = 97
Let the number of terms be n
This is an arithmetic sequence, and the distance traveled after n 2 seconds will be:
For the second particle
The sequence representing the distance traveled every 2 seconds is:
49, 47, 45,......
The common difference, d = 47-49 = 45 - 47 = -2
d = -2
The distance traveled in the first two seconds is a = 49
The nth term of the sequence is:
When the two particles collide, the two equations can be equated
These two particles will collide after 25 distances, and since each distance takes 2 seconds, the time taken for the particles to meet will be:
t = 2n
t = 2(25)
t = 50
The particles will meet after 50 seconds
Sum of n terms of an Arithmetic Sequence is:
For the first particle:
a = 97, d = -4, n = 25
The distance traveled by the first particle = 1225 cm
For the second particle:
a = 49, d = -2, n = 25
The distance traveled by the second particle = 625 cm