Question

A passenger train leaves depot 2 hours after a freight train leaves the same depot. The freight train is traveling 18 mph slower than the freight train find the rate of each train if the passenger train over, takes the freight train in 3 hours

Answer 1

The passenger train is traveling at 45 mph, and the freight train is traveling at 27 mph.

Explanation:

Let's assume the speed of the passenger train is represented by x mph.

According to the given information, the freight train leaves the depot 2 hours before the passenger train. Therefore, when the passenger train starts, the freight train has already been traveling for 2 hours.

Let's represent the speed of the freight train as (x - 18) mph, which is 18 mph slower than the passenger train.

Now, we know that the passenger train overtakes the freight train in 3 hours. This means that the passenger train traveled for 3 hours, while the freight train traveled for 3 + 2 = 5 hours.

Since speed = distance/time, we can set up the following equation based on the distances covered by each train:

Distance covered by passenger train = Distance covered by freight train

Using the formula, distance = speed × time, we get:

x × 3 = (x - 18) × 5

Simplifying the equation:

3x = 5x - 90

90 = 5x - 3x

90 = 2x

Dividing both sides by 2:

45 = x

So, the speed of the passenger train is 45 mph.

The speed of the freight train is 45 - 18 = 27 mph.