Math Problem Statement

A man leaves his home and walks at a speed of 12 km per hour, reaching the railway station 10 minutes after the train had departed. If instead he had walked at a speed of 15 km per hour, he would have reached the station 10 minutes before the train's departure. The distance (in km) from his home to the railway station is

Solution

Let the distance between the man's home and the railway station be dd km.

Step 1: Set up equations based on the two scenarios.

  1. First Scenario:

    • The man walks at 1212 km/hr and reaches the station 1010 minutes (or 16\frac{1}{6} hours) after the train has departed.
    • Time taken by the man at 1212 km/hr to reach the station: d12\frac{d}{12}.
    • Since he is 16\frac{1}{6} hours late, we can write: T+16=d12T + \frac{1}{6} = \frac{d}{12} where TT is the time of the train's departure from his home.
  2. Second Scenario:

    • The man walks at 1515 km/hr and reaches the station 1010 minutes (or 16\frac{1}{6} hours) before the train departs.
    • Time taken by the man at 1515 km/hr to reach the station: d15\frac{d}{15}.
    • Since he is 16\frac{1}{6} hours early, we can write: T16=d15T - \frac{1}{6} = \frac{d}{15}

Step 2: Solve the equations.

We have two equations:

  1. T+16=d12T + \frac{1}{6} = \frac{d}{12}
  2. T16=d15T - \frac{1}{6} = \frac{d}{15}

Subtract the second equation from the first: (T+16)(T16)=d12d15\left(T + \frac{1}{6}\right) - \left(T - \frac{1}{6}\right) = \frac{d}{12} - \frac{d}{15} 26=d12d15\frac{2}{6} = \frac{d}{12} - \frac{d}{15} 13=5d4d60\frac{1}{3} = \frac{5d - 4d}{60} 13=d60\frac{1}{3} = \frac{d}{60} d=20kmd = 20 \, \text{km}

Conclusion

The distance from his home to the railway station is 20 km.

Would you like further details on any part of this solution?


Here are five related questions for further exploration:

  1. What if the man’s walking speeds were both slower—how would that affect the distance?
  2. How would the problem change if he was late by 15 minutes instead of 10 in both scenarios?
  3. What if the train's timing had been delayed—how would we adjust the equations?
  4. Can we solve the problem graphically by plotting the two scenarios?
  5. How would adding rest stops along the way affect the calculations?

Tip: For problems involving different speeds and times, setting up equations based on known times and distances simplifies the solution process.

Ask a new question for Free

By Image

Drop file here or Click Here to upload

Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Algebra
Time and Distance
Simultaneous Equations

Formulas

Distance = Speed × Time
Time difference equation based on speed changes

Theorems

Equation solving for unknowns in algebra

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 8-10