Final answer:
To calculate the average speed of the train, we divide the distance covered, 392 miles, by the travel time, 14 hours, to get an average speed of 28 mph. However, since this result does not align with any of the given options, there may be an error in the question or provided information.
Step-by-step explanation:
To solve this problem, we can set up an equation to determine the average speed of the train. The car starts 6 hours after the train and catches up in 8 hours, which means the train has been traveling for a total of 6 + 8 = 14 hours when the car catches up.
The car travels at a speed of 49 mph for 8 hours, so the total distance it travels is 49 miles/hour * 8 hours = 392 miles. Since the car catches up to the train at the 392-mile mark, we know this is the distance the train also covered in the 14 hours it was traveling.
Now we can find the average speed of the train by dividing the total distance by the total time. The average speed of the train is 392 miles / 14 hours = 28 mph. However, this answer is not provided in the options, suggesting either the question or the data provided is incorrect. A closer look at the options given suggests we may have misunderstood the question or have been given misleading information, as none of the speeds provided would result in the car catching up to the train in 8 hours under these conditions.