Question

Two cars that are originally 316 miles apart start traveling toward one another at 9:00 a.m. until they meet. One car travels 50 miles per hour and the other travels 50 miles per hour, both with their cruise control on. Which formula represents d , the distance between the two cars t hours after 9:00 a.m.?

Answer 1

The formula representing the distance between the two cars t hours after 9:00 a.m. is d = 316 - 100t, combining their relative speed of 100 miles per hour.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the formula representing d, the distance between the two cars t hours after 9:00 a.m., we need to consider the initial distance between the cars and the speeds at which they are traveling towards each other.

Since both cars are moving at 50 miles per hour towards each other, we can combine their speeds for a relative speed of 100 miles per hour (since they are closing in on each other).

The formula to calculate the distance between the two cars at any given time t would be the initial distance minus the total distance they've covered together. Each car covers a distance of its speed multiplied by the time, or 50t.

So combining both cars' travel, they cover 100t miles together.

The formula becomes: d = 316 - 100t

This equation assumes that the two cars continue moving towards each other until they meet, at which point the distance d would be zero.