Two trains leave the station at the same time, one heading east and the other west. The eastbound train travels at 80 miles per hour. The westbound train travels at 90 miles per hour. How long will it take for the two trains to be 374 miles apart?

Question

Do not do any rounding.

Answer 1

Let's call the time it takes for the trains to be 374 miles apart "t".

During that time, the eastbound train will have traveled 80t miles and the westbound train will have traveled 90t miles.

To find the total distance between the two trains, we can add the distances they have traveled:

Distance = 80t + 90t

Distance = 170t

We know that this distance is equal to 374 miles:

170t = 374

To solve for "t", we can divide both sides by 170:

t = 2.2

So it will take 2.2 hours (or 2 hours and 12 minutes) for the two trains to be 374 miles apart.