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Two bicyclists head toward each other from the opposite ends of Main Street, which is 6 miles long. The first biker started at 2:05 going 12 mph. The second biker began peddling 4 minutes later at a rate of 14 mph. What time will they meet?

User Zhibin
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1 Answer

1 vote

Answer:

2:21

Explanation:

You want the meeting time of two bikers traveling at 12 mph and 14 mph, closing a distance of 6 miles between them, when the first starts at 2:05, and the second starts at 2:09.

Gap to be closed

The first biker starts at 2:05 and peddles for 4 minutes before the 2nd biker starts. In that time, the distance traveled is ....

distance = speed × time

(12 mi/h) × (4/60 h) = 48/60 mi = 0.8 mi

The gap between the bikers has been reduced from 6 miles to 6 -0.8 = 5.2 miles by the time the second biker starts at 2:05 + :04 = 2:09 on the clock.

Time to close the gap

After the second biker starts at 2:09, the 5.2 mile gap between them is being closed at their combined rate of travel: 12 mph +14 mph = 26 mph. The time required to close that 5.2 mile gap is ...

time = distance/speed

time = (5.2 mi) / (26 mi/h) = 0.2 h = 0.2(60 min) = 12 min

Meeting time

The bikers will meet 12 minutes after the second biker starts, at ...

2:09 + :12 = 2:21

The bikers will meet at 2:21.

Graph

The attached graph shows equations for the distance from the 2nd biker's end of Main street (y1), and the distance the 2nd biker travels (y2). The value of x is the clock time in hours. It shows the two bikers meet at hour 2.35. That fraction of an hour is (0.35 h)×(60 min/h) = 21 min, so their meeting time is 2:21 on the clock. (They meet 2.8 miles from the 2nd biker's starting location.)

Two bicyclists head toward each other from the opposite ends of Main Street, which-example-1
User Mateusz Piotrowski
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