A man is walking at an average speed of 4 miles per hour alongside a railroad track. A freight train, going in the same direction at an average speed of 30 miles per hour, requires 5 seconds to pass the man. How long is the freight train? Give your answer in feet.
What would be the equation?
I have trouble with word problems
I found a website that solved this problem but there wasn't really an answer.
the answer is 190.67
30 + 5 = 4 + x ?
then divide by 3600?
To solve this problem, let's break it down step by step:
Step 1: Convert the speed from miles per hour to feet per second.
- There are 5280 feet in a mile.
- There are 3600 seconds in an hour.
- So, to convert from miles per hour to feet per second, we can multiply the speed by (5280/3600).
Step 2: Calculate the relative speed between the man and the train.
- Since both the man and the train are moving in the same direction, the relative speed is the difference between their speeds.
- In this case, the relative speed is 30 - 4 = 26 miles per hour.
Step 3: Convert the relative speed from miles per hour to feet per second.
- Use the same conversion factor (5280/3600) to convert the relative speed from miles per hour to feet per second.
Step 4: Calculate the time required for the train to pass the man.
- The problem states that the train requires 5 seconds to pass the man.
Step 5: Use the formula: Distance = Speed × Time to find the distance covered by the train in 5 seconds.
- Substitute the relative speed of the train and the given time into the formula.
- This will give us the distance covered by the train in feet.
Step 6: Round the answer to the nearest whole number if necessary.
- The question asks for the length of the train in feet, so round the answer to the nearest whole number if any decimal places are present.
I hope this explanation helps you understand how to approach and solve word problems like these.