Question

Running the last lap of a 4 x 100-meter relay, Bob takes the baton for his team and pursues his opponent already 20 meters ahead of him. If Bob runs at an average speed of 8 meters per second and his opponent only runs 6 meters per second, will Bob overtake him and win the race? If he does not catch him, how close does he get before the opponent crosses the finish line? If he does catch him, how many seconds and how many meters will it take?

Answer 1

v1 t = distance Bob travels

v2 t + 20 = distance opponent travels

v1 t = v2 t + 20

t = 20 / (v1 - v2) = 20 / (8 - 6) = 10 sec

In 10 sec Bob runs 80 m

In 10 sec opponent runs 20 + 60 m = 80 m