A car going at 40 miles per hour set out on an 80-mile trip at 9:00

Question

A car going at 40 miles per hour set out on an 80-mile trip at 9:00 A.M. Exactly 10 minutes later, a second car left from the same place and followed the same route. How fast, in miles per hour, was the second car going if it caught up with the first car at 10:30 A.M.?

(A) 45

(B) 50

(C) 53

(D) 55

(E) 60

(A) 45

(B) 50

(C) 53

(D) 55

(E) 60

Skywalker18 · Accepted Answer

Let Car A = car that starts at 9 AM
Car B = car that starts at 9:10 AM
Time for which car A travels at speed of 40 m per hour = 1.5 hours
Distance travelled by Car A = 40 *1.5 = 60 miles

Since Car B catches up Car A at 10:30 , time = 80 mins = 4/3 hour
Speed of Car B = 60/(4/3) = 45 miles per hour

Answer A

Abhishek009 · Answer

Distance covered by the car in 1.5 hours ( 10:30 A.M. - 9:00 A.M.) is 1.5 * 40 = 60 miles
 Now car A has covered 60 miles by 10:30 A.M , so car B must also cover the same distance in ( 10:30 A.M - 9:10 A.M.) 80/60 hr

So, speed of car B must be = 60 * 6/8 i.e. 45 miles per hour

So, Answer must be (A)

HKD1710 · Answer

Distnace covered in 1.5 hr (90 minutes i.e. between 09:00AM - 10:30AM ) = 60 miles (40 * 1.5)

Second covered 60 miles in 80 minutes (i.e. 10 minutes less than the first car because second car started at 09:10AM).

Speed of the second car = 60miles / (80/60) hour = 45miles/hour

Option A is correct.

GMATinsight · Answer

Distance travelled by first car in 10 mins = 40/6 = 20/3 miles

Relative Distance between two cars at the time second car starts = 20/3 miles

Relative speed of two cars = (s-14) where s is the speed of second car

Time taken by second car to catch first car = (9:10 to 10:30) = 1 hour 20 mins = 4/3 hours

Relative speed = Relative Distance / time

(s-40) = (20/3)/(4/3) = 5
i.e. s = 5+40 = 45 miles per hour

Answer: Option A

ajdse22 · Answer

Here is one other way to solve the problem.
Car 1 took 90 minutes to cover some distance, whereas the second car took 80 minutes to do the same. We can set up following equation-
Ratio of time = inverse of the ratio of speed
80/90 = 40/x => 2/90=1/x=> x = 45m.

the problem can also be solved by the relative speed equation 
distance to be caught up by the second car is equal to the distance that the first car did in first 10 minutes
40/60*10
This is to be caught up in 80 minutes or 8/6 hours
40/60*10/(x-40) = 8/6. Solve this to get x = 45.

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

We are given that a car left at 9 a.m. traveling at a rate of 40 mph and another car left 10 minutes later. Since the second car caught up to the first car at 10:30 a.m., the time of the first car is 1.5 hours and the distance is 1.5 x 40 = 60 miles.
 
If we let r = the rate of the second car, the distance of the second car is:
 
r x (1 hour 20 minutes)
 
r x (1 1/3 hours)
 
r x (4/3) = 4r/3 
 
Since the second car catches up to the first car we can set the distances equal and determine r:
 
4r/3 = 60
 
4r = 180
 
r = 45
 
Answer: A

sasyaharry · Answer

Very little calculation here. 
The second car travelled for 80 minutes and covered 60 miles. The question asks the speed of the second car in miles per hour. OR
 How many miles did the second car travel in 60mins?

80mins------60miles
60mins------?
 \frac{(60*60)}{80}  =  \frac{(3600)}{80}  = slightly over 40 but less than 50

Answer is  A

AlN · Answer

Hi  GMATPrepNow

COuld you please help me with this solution . I got the realtive distance of the gap as 20/3 miles. I am not sure how to proceed next

Fdambro294 · Answer

Concept: when the 2 cars depart from the same place, and the 2nd Car catches up to the 1st Car —-

Distance car 1 travels = Distance car 2 travels

Car 1 travels for 3/2 hours (from 9 AM to 10:30 AM) at a Speed of 40 mph

Car 2 drives for 10 minutes less, so the travel Time for Car 2 is:

(3/2) - (1/6) = 8/6 = 4/3 hours

Car 2’s Unknown Speed = R

Distance = Speed * Time

Again, when the 2 cars Meet—-

D of Car 1 = D of Car 2

40 * (3/2) = R * (4/3)

R = (3 * 40 * 3) / (2 * 4)

R = 3 * 5 * 3 = 45 mph

-A-

Posted from my mobile device

bumpbot · Answer

Automated notice from GMAT Club BumpBot: 

A member just gave Kudos to this thread, showing it’s still useful. I’ve bumped it to the top so more people can benefit. Feel free to add your own questions or solutions.

 This post was generated automatically.

A car going at 40 miles per hour set out on an 80-mile trip at 9:00

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards

GMAT Problem Solving (PS) Questions

A car going at 40 miles per hour set out on an 80-mile trip at 9:00

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards