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Two planes which are 3520 miles apart fly toward each other their speeds differ by 80 mph if they pass each other in 4 hours what is the speed of each

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3 votes

Answer:

480 mph

Explanation:

To find the speed of each plane, we can set up a system of equations based on the given information.

Let's assume the speed of the first plane is x mph, and the speed of the second plane is (x + 80) mph (since their speeds differ by 80 mph).

When the two planes fly toward each other, their combined speed is the sum of their individual speeds. So the total speed is x + (x + 80) mph.

We know that the two planes are 3520 miles apart and they pass each other in 4 hours. Using the formula distance = speed × time, we can write:

Distance = Speed × Time

For the first plane, the distance it travels is x mph multiplied by 4 hours:

4x miles.

For the second plane, the distance it travels is (x + 80) mph multiplied by 4 hours:

4(x + 80) miles.

Since they are flying towards each other, the sum of their distances should be equal to the total distance of 3520 miles:

4x + 4(x + 80) = 3520

Now we can solve this equation for x:

4x + 4x + 320 = 3520

8x + 320 = 3520

8x = 3200

x = 400

Therefore, the speed of the first plane is 400 mph, and the speed of the second plane is (400 + 80) mph, which is 480 mph.

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