A bank robber, after completing his heist, jumps into his getaway car and drives away from the scene of a crime, down a straight highway at 40 m/s. A police vehicle follows in pursuit, leaving the bank 2 minutes
after the robber left. If the police travel at 42 m/s, how much time passes from when the bank robber left
the bank to when he was caught?
Nice questions
t is in seconds
40 t = 42(t-120)
To find the time it takes for the police to catch the bank robber, we need to calculate the time it takes for the police to catch up with the robber.
First, let's convert the 2 minutes delay into seconds:
2 minutes * 60 seconds/minute = 120 seconds
Next, let's calculate the distance the robber has covered during this 2-minute delay:
Distance = Speed * Time
Distance = 40 m/s * 120 seconds
Distance = 4800 meters
Now, we know that both the robber and the police are traveling down the same straight highway. The difference in their speeds is 42 m/s - 40 m/s = 2 m/s.
Since the police are gaining on the robber at a rate of 2 m/s, we can divide the distance between them (4800 meters) by the rate at which the police are gaining on the robber (2 m/s):
Time = Distance / Rate
Time = 4800 meters / 2 m/s
Time = 2400 seconds
Therefore, it will take 2400 seconds for the police to catch the bank robber.
Note: It's important to note that this calculation assumes constant speeds for both the robber and the police, and that no other factors (such as traffic, turns, or increased speed) are affecting the pursuit.