Two cars are traveling 225 miles apart They start traveling

Two cars are traveling 225 miles apart. They start traveling torwards each other at the same time, but one car is going 5 miles an hour faster than the other. If it took 3 hours for the cars to pass each other, what was each car\'s rate?

Solution

1st car DATA:
time = 3 hrs ; rate = x mph ; distance = t*r = 3x miles
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2nd car DATA:
time = 3 hrs ; rate = x+5 mph ; distance = t*r = 3(x+5) miles
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Equation:
distance + distance = 225
3x + 3(x+5) = 225
6x + 15 = 225
6x = 210
x = 35 mph (rate of car one)
x+5=40 mph (rate of car two)