two airplanes left the same airport traveling in opposite direction. if one airplane averages 400 miles per hour and the other airplane averages 250 miles per hour, in how many hours will the distance between the two planes be 1625 miles?
Does it help to point out that if they're going different directions, you can figure that each hour, they'll be another 650 miles apart?
Matt
Yes, it is helpful to understand that when two objects are moving in opposite directions, the distance between them increases at a rate equal to the sum of their speeds. In this case, the two airplanes have speeds of 400 miles per hour and 250 miles per hour, so the distance between them will increase at a rate of 400 + 250 = 650 miles per hour.
To find out how many hours it will take for the distance between the two planes to be 1625 miles, you can divide the total distance by the rate at which the distance between them is increasing:
1625 miles / 650 miles per hour = 2.5 hours
Therefore, it will take 2.5 hours for the distance between the two planes to be 1625 miles.