Question

A train leaves the station at 8 a.m. and averages 40 miles per hour another train leaves the same station one hour later and averages 50 miles per hour traveling in the same direction on a parallel track at what time will the second train catch up with the first train how many miles would each train have traveled by that time

Answer 1

Time taken by the slower train ---- t hrs
time taken by faster train --------- t - 1 hrs

distance gone by slower train = 40t miles
distance gone by faster train = 50(t-1) miles

But, when they pass each other, each will have covered the same distance, so

50(t-1) = 40t
50t - 50 = 40t
10t = 50
t = 5

Since the slower train left at 8:00 am and it took 5 hours for them to meet, they met at 1:00 pm

The distance they both went is 200 miles