maths question help?!
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2006
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From: Australia
maths question help?!
Hey guys,
Just went through an exam for entrance for an aviation school, passed but i missed out on one question. Can some one tell me how to do this?
If one car starts moving at part A at 2:00pm travelling 90km/h in a constant direction, and another car leaves at same origin travelling in same direction at 2:10pm travelling 100km/h, when will they meet?
I remember doing this at school and i'm pissed off that i dont remember.
Cheers,
Lloyd
Just went through an exam for entrance for an aviation school, passed but i missed out on one question. Can some one tell me how to do this?

If one car starts moving at part A at 2:00pm travelling 90km/h in a constant direction, and another car leaves at same origin travelling in same direction at 2:10pm travelling 100km/h, when will they meet?
I remember doing this at school and i'm pissed off that i dont remember.
Cheers,
Lloyd
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 1
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From: Bolton
I would think of this in terms of distance / time graph
As we know equations of straight line Y=Mx+C
M = Grad = Speed. C = Y intercept (x=0)
For car 1
Y = 90x + 0
For car 2
Y = 100x + C
0 = 100(10/60)+C
C= -100(10/60) = -16.666
Y=100x – 16.666
To find when they meet.
90x + 0 = 100x – 16.666
16.666/10 = x
x = 1.66666 = 1hr 40mins = 15:40
----------------------------------
Dist would be 1.666 * 90 = 150km
chk 1.666 * 100 - 16.666 = 150
Hope that helps
Andy D.
As we know equations of straight line Y=Mx+C
M = Grad = Speed. C = Y intercept (x=0)
For car 1
Y = 90x + 0
For car 2
Y = 100x + C
0 = 100(10/60)+C
C= -100(10/60) = -16.666
Y=100x – 16.666
To find when they meet.
90x + 0 = 100x – 16.666
16.666/10 = x
x = 1.66666 = 1hr 40mins = 15:40
----------------------------------
Dist would be 1.666 * 90 = 150km
chk 1.666 * 100 - 16.666 = 150
Hope that helps
Andy D.
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 10
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From: Cloud9
Answer, although I don't know why it's Minus
Distance = Speed x Time
Time = Distance / Speed
Velocity A = Speed A / Time A
Velocity B = Speed B / Time B
You want the two speeds to equal.
S A = V A x T A
S B = V B x T B
V A x T A = V B x (T A + 10 Mins)
90 x T A = 100 (T A + 1/6)
90 T A = 100 T A + 100/6
-10 TA = 100/6
TA = -10/6 (10 / 6 * 60(mins) = 100 Mins
Q.E.D 100 Mins
Time = Distance / Speed
Velocity A = Speed A / Time A
Velocity B = Speed B / Time B
You want the two speeds to equal.
S A = V A x T A
S B = V B x T B
V A x T A = V B x (T A + 10 Mins)
90 x T A = 100 (T A + 1/6)
90 T A = 100 T A + 100/6
-10 TA = 100/6
TA = -10/6 (10 / 6 * 60(mins) = 100 Mins
Q.E.D 100 Mins
Joined: Aug 2000
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From: S Warwickshire
How about this way of thinking about it:
At 2.10 the first car has been going 1/6 of an hour so has travelled 15km (90/6).
The second car is then closing the gap at the difference between their speeds i.e. 10km/h.
So to close a 15km gap at a rate of 10km/h takes an hour and a half.
Add the ten minutes the second car was waiting you get the 1h40m previously quoted.
So the answer is 3.40
At 2.10 the first car has been going 1/6 of an hour so has travelled 15km (90/6).
The second car is then closing the gap at the difference between their speeds i.e. 10km/h.
So to close a 15km gap at a rate of 10km/h takes an hour and a half.
Add the ten minutes the second car was waiting you get the 1h40m previously quoted.
So the answer is 3.40
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 127
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From: JETNOZZLE
Interesting one!
Distance, d
Speed, V
Time, t
Let us call meeting point, X
d = Vt
1. X = 90t
2. X = 100( t - 10)
But 1=2
90t = 100( t - 10)
90t = 100t - 1000
- 10t = - 1000
t = 100
t = 100 minutes
t = 100/60
t = 1.666 hrs
meeting point, X
substituting to either 1 or 2 since they are equal, taking 1.
X = Vt
X = 90 x 1.666
= 149.94
approx X = 150 km.
Distance, d
Speed, V
Time, t
Let us call meeting point, X
d = Vt
1. X = 90t
2. X = 100( t - 10)
But 1=2
90t = 100( t - 10)
90t = 100t - 1000
- 10t = - 1000
t = 100
t = 100 minutes
t = 100/60
t = 1.666 hrs
meeting point, X
substituting to either 1 or 2 since they are equal, taking 1.
X = Vt
X = 90 x 1.666
= 149.94
approx X = 150 km.
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 53
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From: UK
You could try
http://www.antonine-education.co.uk/..._1/topic_1.htm
Yes, it's AS revision, but it does the stuff. Could look at most AS revision guides for the motion sections (module 2)
http://www.antonine-education.co.uk/..._1/topic_1.htm
Yes, it's AS revision, but it does the stuff. Could look at most AS revision guides for the motion sections (module 2)

Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,246
Likes: 7
From: EU
Interesting how different people think about the same problem!
The way that Andy, Persephone and lowbypass looked at the question would be alien to me. I can understand the method but my brain avoids proper mathematics like the plague.
Now Mark has my vote. I think the way he thinks.
The way that Andy, Persephone and lowbypass looked at the question would be alien to me. I can understand the method but my brain avoids proper mathematics like the plague.

Now Mark has my vote. I think the way he thinks.
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 225
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From: Tropopause
car A 90 kms per hour and sets off at 2.00
car B 100 kms per hour and sets off at 2.10.
At 2.10 the A car has done allready 15 kms.
relative speed between the two cars is 10 kms.
So it will take car B 1 hour and 30 to catch up to car A and cover the 15 kms.
In one and a hals hour car B has covers 150 km.
Car A 135 plus the 10 minuttes difference between the two starting hours that equals 15 kms and adds up to 150 for car A also.
So they will meet at 15.40 at 150 kms
car B 100 kms per hour and sets off at 2.10.
At 2.10 the A car has done allready 15 kms.
relative speed between the two cars is 10 kms.
So it will take car B 1 hour and 30 to catch up to car A and cover the 15 kms.
In one and a hals hour car B has covers 150 km.
Car A 135 plus the 10 minuttes difference between the two starting hours that equals 15 kms and adds up to 150 for car A also.
So they will meet at 15.40 at 150 kms

Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 108
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From: UK
thanks for that link and how people break it down. Not exactly hard just after more examples for practice
Any other examples people have, by all means please post up or chuck me links to whatever documents you have with questions
Many thanks
Any other examples people have, by all means please post up or chuck me links to whatever documents you have with questions

Many thanks
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 24
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From: Suffolk
if you one where maths equations confuse you (which they shouldnt)
then in leymans terms
the 1st car has been going for 10 mins at 90km/h,
10 mins is 1 sixth on an hour, and in 1 hour you would travel 90km at 90km/h
so 1 sixth of 90 is 15km
you closing velocity is 10km/h
so it would take 1 and a half hours to catch up
so 1 and a half hours from 2.10 is 3.40
then in leymans terms
the 1st car has been going for 10 mins at 90km/h,
10 mins is 1 sixth on an hour, and in 1 hour you would travel 90km at 90km/h
so 1 sixth of 90 is 15km
you closing velocity is 10km/h
so it would take 1 and a half hours to catch up
so 1 and a half hours from 2.10 is 3.40
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 239
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From: N/E England
Lowbypass – that solution terrifies me!!!!! I’m afraid one is rather a little slow in the brain department!!

Nathan.Hunter – that’s more like it, nice and simple without such need to complicate things!!!


Nathan.Hunter – that’s more like it, nice and simple without such need to complicate things!!!
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 47
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From: ESSE ATZ
Im sorry for offending you Barke, it was not my intention at all. To make you feel better about it you could think about my post as a bad atempt for humor. You see, when I did my ATPLs I was tought to pay close atention to the words in the question. Not having english as my first language meet, to me, means coming face to face from different points of origin. But as you say meeting also means coverging, coming together, collect in one place and point of gathering. So thank you for correcting me.
D.
D.




now i feel like a dumbass :P
