jim paddle from one shore of a lake three miles wide at 4 mph, and john paddles from the opposite shore at 5 mph. how long will they travel before they meet?
r1*t + r2*t = 3 Mi.
4t + 5t = 3
9t = 3
t = 3/9 = 1/3 h. = 20 min.
To find out how long Jim and John will travel before they meet, we need to calculate the time it takes for each person to paddle across the lake.
First, let's determine the distance each person will travel:
Jim will paddle from one shore to the meeting point, which is the halfway point between the two shores. Since the lake is three miles wide, Jim will travel 1.5 miles.
Similarly, John will paddle from the other shore to the same meeting point, also covering a distance of 1.5 miles.
Next, we can calculate the time it takes for each person to travel using the formula:
time = distance/speed
For Jim:
time = 1.5 miles / 4 mph = 0.375 hours
For John:
time = 1.5 miles / 5 mph = 0.3 hours
Now, we can determine the total time it takes for Jim and John to meet. Since they are travelling simultaneously, we can simply add their individual times together:
Total time = Jim's time + John's time = 0.375 hours + 0.3 hours = 0.675 hours
Therefore, Jim and John will travel for approximately 0.675 hours before they meet.