To find out how many hours will pass until the two RSM students are 3,000 ft apart, we can use the concept of relative motion.
Let's assume that the two RSM students start moving in opposite directions at the same time when they spot Mrs. Rifkin.
The relative speed between the two students is the sum of their individual speeds: 300 ft/min + 200 ft/min = 500 ft/min.
Since they are initially 20 ft apart, they need to cover an additional distance of 3,000 ft - 20 ft = 2,980 ft to reach a total distance of 3,000 ft between them.
To determine how long it takes in hours, we can use the formula: Time = Distance / Speed.
Time = 2,980 ft / 500 ft/min = 5.96 min.
Since there are 60 minutes in an hour, 5.96 min is approximately 0.0993 hours.
Therefore, it will take approximately 0.0993 hours (or about 5 minutes and 58 seconds) for the two RSM students to be 3,000 ft apart.