Train A and Train B are traveling in the same direction on parallel tracks.?

Melissa B: Train A and Train B are traveling in the same direction on parallel tracks.?
Train A is traveling at 60 MPH and train B is traveling at 80 MPH. Train A passes a station at 6:20PM. If train B passes the same station at 6:32PM, at what time will train B catch up to Train A?
Thanks guys you were both a great help!

Answers and Views:

Answer by Windows 7 Fan
Hi,
Let’s measure the distance in terms of “miles after the station.” The formula for the distance is distance = rate * time. Since 12 minutes, or 1/5 hour, have passed since B passed the station, A will have traveled 1/5 * 60 = 12 miles after station. Now we can make two equations with the distance being the same.
d = 60x + 12 …. Train A
d = 80x ….Train B

60x + 12 = 80x
-20x + 12 = 0
-20x = -12
x = 3/5 hour

3/5 hour = 36 minutes after Train B passes station.
6:32 + 36 minutes = 7:08 PM <==ANSWER

Answer by daSVgrouch
A is moving at 1 mile per minute, B is moving at 4/3 miles per minute

at 6:32, A is 12 miles ahead of B

relative to 6:32, the distance from the station is –
A = 12 + t (time in minutes)
B = 4t / 3
when are these equal ?
4t / 3 = 12 + t
t / 3 = 12
t = 36 minutes after 6:32 PM, B will pass or crash into A at 7:08 PM

Answer by JDjoduJD
1. convert all speeds to miles per seconds: TrainA = 1 miles per minute, TrainB = 4/3 miles per minute
2. Time 6:32 = Time 0
3. at Time 0, TrainA is 12 miles from the station. (6:32 – 6:20 = 12 minutes, 12mins * 1 miles per min = 12 miles)
4. the equation to locate TrainA at distance x at Time t is….. x = 12 + t
5. the equation to locate TrainB at distance x at Time t is….. x = (4/3) * t
6. u want to know when they meet so… obviously, they will meet when their x is equal to each other.

12 + t = (4/3) * t
36 + 3t = 4t
36 = t

36 minutes from 6:32PM… so… 7:08PM is the answer

Answer by U7s
First find the distance between the two trains. There is 12 min difference between them, which train B covers travelling at 80 MPH. Given this speed and time, the distance is calculated as time x speed = (12/60hr)*80MPH=16M.

Now we know train B is 16 miles behind train A. We need to find out the time taken for train B to cover these 16 miles in order to catch up with train A. But as both are travelling at different speed, we need a point of reference. If we imagine train A stationary, then train B is travelling at 20 MPH relative to it.

So we use 20 MPH and 16 miles to calculate time=16/20=4/5 hr=48min.

So train B catches up with A at 7.08 PM.