Real Life Math Problems
Posted by Ace on August 3rd, 2009 filed in truismsCar A is travelling southwards on a gently curving suburban road, moving at an average speed of 40 miles per hour. Car B is travelling northwards on the same road, moving at an average speed of 30 miles per hour. If we consider a portion of the road that is three miles long, and assume for purposes of the problem that the cars are starting at either end of it, already travelling at full speed, at what point on the road will they pass each other?
August 3rd, 2009 at 9:42 am
Answer: wherever the road is narrowest, naturally. Or, if the road is equally wide throughout its length, right next to the guy riding the bicycle.
August 8th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
I will give you the same answer I gave my math teacher- the one that earned me a detention- who cares because when they crash on the curve everyone who matters will be DEAD!
August 8th, 2009 at 11:27 pm
Sweet!
August 11th, 2009 at 10:58 pm
I could very well be wrong but I’m coming up with their passing, if passing means when they occupy the same spot (assuming these are the new Honda Point cars), occurring at exactly 1.28571429 miles north of the southern terminus of the stretch (or 1.71428571 south of the northern terminus), 154.285714 seconds after they take off. Way to make the numbers come out round, Ace. :D Reminds me of some of my exams.
Unless by “the cars are starting at either *end* of it” means that the southbound car is already on the south end and the northbound car is already on the north end, so they will never pass each other now.