darla and her friend penny left their office at the same time and began traveling down the same road in the same direction. Darla traveled at a speed of 65 mph while penny drove at 70 mph. How many hours was it before penny was 5 miles ahead of darla?

1 answer

To determine how many hours it took for Penny to be 5 miles ahead of Darla, we start by defining their rates of travel and the relationship between the distances they cover over time.

1. Darla's speed \( v_D \) = 65 mph
2. Penny's speed \( v_P \) = 70 mph
3. The time it takes for Penny to be 5 miles ahead of Darla is \( t \) hours.

Since both leave the office at the same time and travel in the same direction, the distance each travels after \( t \) hours can be expressed as:

- Distance traveled by Darla: \( D_D = 65t \)
- Distance traveled by Penny: \( D_P = 70t \)

We need to find the time \( t \) when Penny is 5 miles ahead of Darla, which means \( D_P = D_D + 5 \):

\[ 70t = 65t + 5 \]

To isolate \( t \), we subtract \( 65t \) from both sides:

\[ 70t - 65t = 5 \]

\[ 5t = 5 \]

Now, divide both sides by 5:

\[ t = 1 \]

Therefore, it takes **1 hour** for Penny to be 5 miles ahead of Darla.