Question

two cars travel down the highway at the same speed. if the first car travels 10 kilometers per hour faster than its current speed and the second car travels 10 kilometers per hour slower than its current speed than the first car would travel in two hours the same distance the second car would travel in thee hours. what is the original speed of the cars?

Answer 1

Original speed = 50 km/h

Explanation:

Given that,

→ first car travels 10 km faster than its current speed. It would travel in two hours the same distance.

→ second car travels 10 km per hour slower than its current speed. It would travel in 3 hours the same distance.

Then the equation will be,

→ 2(x + 10) => 1st car

→ 3(x - 10) => 2nd car

→ 2(x + 10) = 3(x - 10)

Now the original speed of the cars is,

→ 2(x + 10) = 3(x - 10)

→ 2x + 20 = 3x - 30

→ 2x - 3x = -30 - 20

→ -x = -50

→ [ x = 50 km/h ]

Hence, the original speed is 50 km/h.

Answer 2

• The original speed of the cars is 50 km/h

Explanation:

Let the original speed of the cars be x.

The first car

When speed is x + 10 the distance in two hours is:

• 2(x + 10)

The second car

When speed = x - 10 the distance in three hours is:

• 3(x - 10)

Since the distance is same in both cases, set them equal and solve for x:

• 2x + 20 = 3x - 30
• 3x - 2x = 20 + 30
• x = 50

The original speed of the cars is 50 km/h