How Far Does the Bird Travel Before the Trains Collide?

[doyle14]

Two trains, each having a speed of 32 km/h, are headed at each other on the same straight track. A bird that can fly 60 km/h flies off the front of one train when they are 57 km apart and heads directly for the other train. On reaching the other train it flies directly back to the first train, and so forth. (We have no idea why a bird would behave in this way.) What is the total distance the bird travels before the trains collide?

Any help/methods to solving this would be greatly appreciated...thank you!

 

[doyle14]

oh and btw...i don't have any work down because i don't really know how to start the problem...it's a little confusing...any directions/methods would be appreciated...

 

[chanvincent]

Hints:
calculate the time it takes for two trains to collide first, this is also the time the little bird fly in air... since you know the speed of the bird, its distance travels is simply $$d=vt$$

 

[doyle14]

thank you very much