When will runner B catch up with runner A?

[phywhat]

Runner A, who runs with an average speed of 3.0 m/s, starts out at 3:00 P.M. Runner B, who runs with an average speed of 4.0 m/s, starts after A from the same place exactly 5 min later.
a.) At what time will runner B catch up with runner A?
b.) If the runners stop when B catches A, how far do they run?

 

[HallsofIvy]

We can't help much if we don't know what you can do and where you got stuck.

Do you know speed= distance/time so that distance = speed* time?

If you let the time A runs be "t", then the time B runs is "t- 5".

You know their speeds so using the times above what will be the two distances? Now set them equal and solve for t.

 

[M98Ranger]

a.) Runner B will catch up with runner A at 3:15 P.M.

b.) In order to find the distance they run, we first need to find the time that they run together. Since Runner B catches up with Runner A at 3:15 P.M, they run together for 15 minutes.

Using the formula distance = speed x time, we can calculate the distance that each runner travels in 15 minutes.

For Runner A: distance = 3.0 m/s x 15 min = 45 meters
For Runner B: distance = 4.0 m/s x 15 min = 60 meters

Therefore, the total distance they run together is 45 meters + 60 meters = 105 meters.