Two buses left the downtown terminal, traveling in opposite directions. One had an average speed 10 mph faster than the other. Twelve minutes later, they were 12 miles apart. What were their speeds?

1 answer

Let the speed of the slower bus be \( x \) mph. Therefore, the speed of the faster bus is \( x + 10 \) mph.

Both buses travel for 12 minutes, which is \( \frac{12}{60} = \frac{1}{5} \) hours.

In that time, the slower bus covers a distance of: \[ \text{Distance of slower bus} = x \times \frac{1}{5} = \frac{x}{5} \text{ miles} \]

The faster bus covers a distance of: \[ \text{Distance of faster bus} = (x + 10) \times \frac{1}{5} = \frac{x + 10}{5} \text{ miles} \]

After 12 minutes, the total distance between the two buses is the sum of the distances they have traveled: \[ \frac{x}{5} + \frac{x + 10}{5} = \frac{x + x + 10}{5} = \frac{2x + 10}{5} \text{ miles} \]

According to the problem, this distance equals 12 miles: \[ \frac{2x + 10}{5} = 12 \]

To eliminate the fraction, multiply both sides by 5: \[ 2x + 10 = 60 \]

Next, subtract 10 from both sides: \[ 2x = 50 \]

Then, divide both sides by 2 to find \( x \): \[ x = 25 \]

Now, determine the speeds of both buses:

  • The speed of the slower bus is \( x = 25 \) mph.
  • The speed of the faster bus is \( x + 10 = 25 + 10 = 35 \) mph.

Thus, the speeds of the buses are:

  • Slower bus: 25 mph
  • Faster bus: 35 mph