At 5 p.m two ships started sailing toward each other from ports which were 300 miles apart at average rates of 20 and 25 miles per hour. At what time were the ships still 30 miles apart?

so, like maybe they were 270 miles apart and collided at x pm :)

they approach each other at 45 miles/hr

270 miles/45 miles/hr = 6 hours

6+5 = 11 pm

THANK! You are awesome.

To find the time at which the ships are still 30 miles apart, we first need to calculate how long it takes for the ships to close the initial 300-mile gap between them.

Let's denote the time it takes for the ships to meet as "t" hours.

The combined rate of the two ships is the sum of their individual rates:

Rate of ship 1 + Rate of ship 2 = 20 mph + 25 mph = 45 mph

Using the formula Distance = Rate × Time, we can now find the time it takes for the ships to meet:

300 miles = 45 mph × t hours

Dividing both sides of the equation by 45:

t = 300 miles / 45 mph
t = 6.67 hours (rounded to two decimal places)

So, it takes approximately 6.67 hours for the ships to meet.

Now, we need to find the time at which the ships are still 30 miles apart. Since the ships are traveling towards each other, the distance between them decreases at the combined rate of 45 mph.

Let's denote the time at which the ships are still 30 miles apart as "x" hours.

Using the formula Distance = Rate × Time, we can find the distance between the ships when they have been sailing for "x" hours:

Distance = Rate × Time
30 miles = 45 mph × x

Now, let's solve for "x":

x = 30 miles / 45 mph
x = 0.67 hours (rounded to two decimal places)

So, the ships are still 30 miles apart after approximately 0.67 hours or 40 minutes.

To determine the time at which the ships are still 30 miles apart, we add this time to the initial time they started sailing:

5:00 p.m + 0.67 hours = 5:40 p.m

Therefore, the ships are still 30 miles apart at 5:40 p.m.

To find out at what time the ships were still 30 miles apart, we need to calculate the time it takes for both ships to cover a distance of 30 miles while approaching each other.

First, we can determine the combined speed of the two ships when sailing towards each other. Ship A is traveling at 20 miles per hour, while Ship B is moving at 25 miles per hour. Therefore, their combined speed would be 20 + 25 = 45 miles per hour.

Next, we can calculate the time it takes for the ships to cover the remaining 30 miles while sailing towards each other. We can use the formula:
Time = Distance / Speed

For the remaining 30 miles, the time it takes for the ships to cover this distance would be:
Time = 30 miles / 45 miles per hour
Time = 2/3 hour

To convert this time to minutes, we can multiply by 60:
Time = (2/3) * 60
Time = 40 minutes

Therefore, the ships were still 30 miles apart after 40 minutes.

Now, let's find the specific time when they were still 30 miles apart. If we assume they started at 5 p.m., then we add 40 minutes to that time:

5:00 p.m. + 40 minutes = 5:40 p.m.

Therefore, the ships were still 30 miles apart at 5:40 p.m.