RateXTime=Distance

[gunnhan000]

My problem is:
Two cyclists leave a city at the same time, one going east and the other going west. The west bound cyclist bikes at 3mph faster than the east bound cyclist. If after 6 hours they are 162 miles apart, how fast is each cyclist riding?

My attemt:
So far i have attempted solving this problem by setting up a table and entering the information and then trying to put that information in to a problem; however, I have been unsuccessful in doing it correctly.


Rate Time Distance
West x+3 6 162
East x 6 162

I don't know if am putting the correct information in the correct parts of the table.

 

[masters]

My problem is:
Two cyclists leave a city at the same time, one going east and the other going west. The west bound cyclist bikes at 3mph faster than the east bound cyclist. If after 6 hours they are 162 miles apart, how fast is each cyclist riding?

My attemt:
So far i have attempted solving this problem by setting up a table and entering the information and then trying to put that information in to a problem; however, I have been unsuccessful in doing it correctly.


Rate Time Distance
West x+3 6 162
East x 6 162

I don't know if am putting the correct information in the correct parts of the table.

Hi gunnhan000,

You're almost there. The sum of the distances the two cyclists ride is equal to 162 miles.

6(x+3) + 6x = 162

 

[Denis]

Rate Time Distance
West x+3 6 162
East x 6 162

Your table should look like this:

      Rate Time Distance 
East: x      6   6x
West: x+3    6   162-6x

 

[Deleted member 4993]

      Rate Time Distance 
East: x      6   6x
West: x+3    6   162-6x

Using the table (corrected by Denis) - you can write an equation for travel of West bound and solve for 'x'

Rate * Time = distance

(x+3) * 6 = 162 - 6x (This is same as the equation provided by Masters - but arrived from a different point of view)

Now solve for 'x'.