Two cyclists start biking from a trail's start 3 hours apart. The second

[mybaseballlife3]

cyclist travels at 10 miles per hour? Two cyclists start biking from a trail's start 3 hours apart. The second cyclist travels at 10 miles per hour and starts 3 hours after the first cyclist who is traveling at 6 miles per hour. How much time will pass before the second cyclist catches up with the first from the time the second cyclist started biking?

I know the answer is 4.5, but how do you do the problem? help please

 

[DonM1]

You are solving for time T, and you know that the distances D are the same, as the two cyclists catch up with each other.

Distance = Speed * time

Cyclist 1: D = (6 miles / hr) * T hours

Cyclist 2: D = (10 miles / hr) * (T-3 hours)
(T is time elapsed, and this cyclist spend 3 hours doing nothing, so travel time is T-3 hours)

So, 6T = 10T - 30

or, 30 = 4T

So T (total time elapsed) = 7.5 hours. The faster cyclist only pedals or 7.5 - 3 hours, or 4.5 hours.

When the ast cylist catches up with the slow one, it is usually obligatory to shout "on your left!" or "share the road, you idiot!" Make sure you put that part in your homework as well.

Have a nice day.