Question

Train A is 20 feet long. It leaves the station at 55 m/h going north. Train B is 25 feet long. It leaves the station at 50 m/h going south. They both leave at 9 a.m. At what time will they meet?

Answer 1

We cannot determine the exact time when Train A and Train B will meet without knowing the initial distance between them. We can add their speeds to find the rate at which the distance between them decreases but need the starting distance to calculate the meeting time.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the time at which Train A and Train B will meet, we need to calculate how long it will take for the distance between them to become zero. Since one train is heading north and the other is heading south, their speeds add up when calculating the rate at which they are separating from their starting point.

Let's convert the speed of the trains from miles per hour (mph) to feet per minute (ft/min) for a better comparison, since the problem involves the time they meet and the lengths of the trains in feet.

• Train A's speed: 55 mph = 55 * 5280 ft/mile / 60 min/hour = 4840 ft/min
• Train B's speed: 50 mph = 50 * 5280 ft/mile / 60 min/hour = 4400 ft/min

The combined speed at which the trains are approaching each other is 4840 ft/min + 4400 ft/min = 9240 ft/min. This information can be used to determine the time they will meet after leaving the station at 9 a.m.

However, the question does not provide the initial distance between the two trains, which is necessary to calculate the exact meeting time. Therefore, we are unable to provide the time they will meet without this critical piece of information. To find the answer, the initial distance between Train A and Train B needs to be known.