A passenger train leaves the train depot 2 hours after a freight train left the same depot.

The freight train is

traveling 20 mph slower than the passenger train. Find the rate of each train, if the passenger train overtakes the
freight train in three hours.
D (miles) R (miles/hr) T (hrs) 5 x 3( x 20)
Freight 5x x 5 5 x 3 x 60
2 x 60
Passenger 3( x 20) x 20 3
x 30 mph
let x = rate of freight train

An executive drove from home at an average speed of 30 mph to an airport where a helicopter was waiting. The
executive boarded the helicopter and flew to the corporate offices at an average speed of 60 mph. The entire
distance was 150 miles; the entire trip took three hours. Find the distance from the airport to the corporate
offices.

D (miles) R (miles/hr) T (hrs) 150 x x

3
150 x 30 60
driving 150 x 30 2(150 x) x 180
30
x 300 2 x x 180
flying x 60
60 120 miles x
let x = rate of distance from airport to corporate

A 555-mile, 5-hour plane trip was flown at two speeds. For the first part of the trip, the average speed was 105
mph. Then the tailwind picked up, and the remainder of the trip was flown at an average speed of 115 mph. For
how long did the plane fly at each speed?

D (miles) R (miles/hr) T (hrs) 105t 115(5 t ) 555

1st part 105t 105 t 105t 575 115t 555
10t 20
2nd part 115(5 t ) 115 5 t t 2 hours for part 1
t 3 hours for part 2
let t = time of 1st part of trip

Plane A leaves los Angeles for York at 500 mph, at the same time plane B leaves from York for Los Angeles at
650mph. Assume the distance from los Angeles to York is 3000 miles, find how long it will take them to meet.

D (miles) R (miles/hr) T (hrs) 500t 650t 3000

1150t 3000
Plane A 500t 500 t 3000 60
t 2.608695652 hrs
1150 23
Plane B 650t 650 t
let t = time to meet
A bus and a car leave the same place and traveled in opposite directions. If the bus is traveling at 50 mph and
the car is traveling at 55 mph, in how many hours will they be 210 miles apart?

D (miles) R (miles/hr) T (hrs) 50t 55t 210

Bus 50t 50 t 105t 210
t 2 hrs
Car 55t 55 t
let t = time until 210 miles apart

A container ship left the Dania Pier and traveled north. An aircraft carrier left four hours later traveling at 30
mph in an effort to catch up to the container ship. After traveling for eight hours the aircraft carrier finally
caught up. What was the container ship's average speed?

D (miles) R (miles/hr) T (hrs) 12 x 240

x 20 mph
Container 12x x 12

Carrier 240 30 8
let x = rate of container ship

A cruise ship made a trip to Guam and back. The trip there took 12 hours and the trip back took nine hours. It
averaged 20 km/h on the return trip. Find the average speed of the trip there.

D (km) R (km/hr) T (hrs) 12x 180

x 15 kph
To Guam 12x x 12

Return 180 20 9
let x = rate to Guam

Scott left the airport and traveled toward the train station. Three hours later Castel left traveling at 50 mph in an
effort to catch up to Scott. After traveling for two hours Castel finally caught up. What was Scott's average
speed?
D (miles) R (miles/hr) T (hrs)
5x 100
Scott 5x x 5 x 20 mph

Castel 100 50 2
let x = Scott’s speed

Jose traveled to the town hall and back. The trip there took five hours and the trip back took four hours. He
averaged 35 km/h on the return trip. Find the average speed of the trip there.
D (km) R (km/hr) T (hrs) 5x 140
To Hall 5x x 5 x 28 kph

From Hall 140 35 4

let x = rate to town hall
Perry left school driving toward the lake one hour before Jaidee. Jaidee drove in the opposite direction going 6
mph slower then Perry for one hour after which time they were 174 mi. apart. What was Perry's speed?

D (miles) R (miles/hr) T (hrs) 2 x x 6 174

Perry 2x x 2 3x 6 174
3x 180
x 60 mph
Jaidee x 6 x 6 1
let x = Perry’s speed
Wilbur left the hardware store and traveled toward the recycling plant at an average speed of 33 km/h. Mary left
two hours later and traveled in the same direction but with an average speed of 55 km/h. How long did Wilbur
travel before Mary caught up?
D (km) R (km/hr) T (hrs) 33t 55(t 2)
Wilber 33t 33 t 33t 55t 110
22t 110
Mary 55(t 2) 55 t 2 t 5 hours
let t = time Wilber travelled

An aircraft carrier left Hawaii traveling west seven hours before a container ship. The container ship traveled in
the opposite direction going 5 km/h slower then the aircraft carrier for six hours after which time the ships were
540 km apart. Find the aircraft carrier's speed.

D (km) R (km/hr) T (hrs) 13x 6( x 5) 540

Carrier x 13
13x 6 x 30 540
13x
19x 570
x 30 kph
Container 6( x 5) x 5 6
let x = carrier’s speed

A submarine left the Azores and traveled west. Three hours later an aircraft carrier left traveling 3 mph faster in
an effort to catch up to it. After seven hours the aircraft carrier finally caught up. Find the submarine's average
speed.
D (miles) R (miles/hr) T (hrs) 10 x 7( x 3)
Submarine 10x x 10 10 x 7 x 21
3x 21
Carrier 7( x 3) x 3 7 x 7 mph

let x = submarine’s speed

Jimmy drove to his cabin on the lake and back. It took 0.6 hours longer to go there than it did to come back. The
average speed on the trip there was 46 km/h. The average speed on the way back was 52 km/h. How many
hours did the trip there take?

D (km) R (km/hr) T (hrs) 46t 52(t 0.6)

To Cabin 46t 46 t 46t 52t 31.2
6t 31.2
52(t 0.6) t 5.2 hours
Return 52 t 0.6
let t = time to cabin
Anjali traveled to the recycling plant and back. The trip there took 5.8 hours and the trip back took 5.1 hours.
She averaged 7 mph faster on the return trip than on the outbound trip. What was Anjali's average speed on the
outbound trip?
D (miles) R (miles/hr) T (hrs) 5.8 x 5.1( x 7)
To plant 5.8x x 5.8 5.8x 5.1x 35.7
0.7 x 35.7
Return 5.1( x 7) x 7 5.1 x 51 mph

let x = rate to recycling plant

A fishing boat left Hawaii traveling west 0.5 hours before a cruise ship. The cruise ship traveled in the opposite
direction going 12.5 km/h faster than the fishing boat for 11 hours after which time the ships were 322
km apart. What was the fishing boat's speed?

D (miles) R (miles/hr) T (hrs) 11.5 x 11( x 12.5) 322

Fishing 11.5x x 11.5 11.5x 11x 137.5 322
22.5x 184.5
Cruise 11( x 12.5) x 12.5 11 x 8.2 kph

let x = rate of fishing boat

A diesel train left the station traveling north 1.5 hours before a freight train. The freight train traveled in the
opposite direction going 6 km/h faster than the diesel train for two hours after which time the trains were 312.3
km apart. Find the diesel train's speed.

D (miles) R (miles/hr) T (hrs) 3.5 x 2( x 6) 312.3

Diesel 3.5x x 3.5 3.5x 2 x 12 312.3
5.5x 300.3
Freight 2( x 6) x 6 2 x 54.6 kph

let x = rate of diesel train