the supertanker and the iceberg are headed straight toward each other. The supertanker is traveling at a speed of 12 miles per hour, while the iceberg is traveling at 0.5 miles per hour. If the two are exactly 50 miles apart, in how many hours will they hit?

Answer 1

To solve the problem, we need to calculate the combined speed of the supertanker and the iceberg as they approach each other.

The speed of the supertanker is 12 miles per hour, and the speed of the iceberg is 0.5 miles per hour.

To find the combined speed, we add the two speeds together:

\[ \text{Combined speed} = 12 \text{ mph} + 0.5 \text{ mph} = 12.5 \text{ mph} \]

Now, we know that the distance between them is 50 miles. To find out how long it will take for them to meet, we can use the formula:

\[ \text{Time} = \frac{\text{Distance}}{\text{Speed}} \]

Substituting the values we have:

\[ \text{Time} = \frac{50 \text{ miles}}{12.5 \text{ mph}} = 4 \text{ hours} \]

Therefore, the supertanker and the iceberg will hit in 4 hours.