Math Problem Statement

Car X trails Car Y by 60 meters. Car Y travels at 50 km/hr. Car Z is approaching from the opposite direction at 60 km/hr and is 240 meters away from Car Y. If Car X decides to overtake Car Y before Cars Y and Z cross each other, what is the approximate minimum speed at which Car X must travel?

Solution

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Problem Breakdown:

  1. Given:

    • Car X trails Car Y by 60 meters.
    • Car Y travels at 50 km/h.
    • Car Z approaches Car Y from the opposite direction at 60 km/h.
    • Car Z is 240 meters away from Car Y.
  2. Objective:

    • If Car X decides to overtake Car Y before Cars Y and Z cross each other, find the minimum speed at which Car X must travel.

Solution:

Step 1: Time for Cars Y and Z to Cross

  • Cars Y and Z are moving toward each other.
  • Their relative speed = 50+60=110km/h50 + 60 = 110 \, \text{km/h} = 1103.6m/s=30.56m/s\frac{110}{3.6} \, \text{m/s} = 30.56 \, \text{m/s}.

The initial distance between Cars Y and Z is 240 meters.
Thus, the time for them to cross each other is: t=distancerelative speed=24030.567.85seconds.t = \frac{\text{distance}}{\text{relative speed}} = \frac{240}{30.56} \approx 7.85 \, \text{seconds}.

Step 2: Car X Overtaking Car Y

  • Car X is 60 meters behind Car Y and must cover this distance plus any distance Car Y travels in 7.85 seconds to overtake it.

Distance traveled by Car Y in 7.85seconds7.85 \, \text{seconds}: dY=speed of Car Y×time=50km/h=503.6m/s=13.89m/s.d_Y = \text{speed of Car Y} \times \text{time} = 50 \, \text{km/h} = \frac{50}{3.6} \, \text{m/s} = 13.89 \, \text{m/s}. dY=13.89×7.85109meters.d_Y = 13.89 \times 7.85 \approx 109 \, \text{meters}.

Thus, the total distance Car X needs to cover is: dX=60+109=169meters.d_X = 60 + 109 = 169 \, \text{meters}.

Step 3: Minimum Speed of Car X

To overtake Car Y in the same time, Car X’s speed must be: speed of Car X=distancetime=1697.8521.53m/s.\text{speed of Car X} = \frac{\text{distance}}{\text{time}} = \frac{169}{7.85} \approx 21.53 \, \text{m/s}.

Convert this back to km/h: speed of Car X=21.53×3.677.5km/h.\text{speed of Car X} = 21.53 \times 3.6 \approx 77.5 \, \text{km/h}.

Final Answer:

Car X must travel at a minimum speed of approximately 77.5 km/h to overtake Car Y before Cars Y and Z cross each other.


Would you like a detailed explanation of any step or further clarifications?
Here are 5 related questions to expand this topic:

  1. How would the solution change if the initial distances were different?
  2. How can we calculate the time for Car X to reach a specific point beyond Car Y?
  3. What happens if Car X has an acceleration instead of a constant speed?
  4. How do we analyze similar problems using relative velocity concepts?
  5. Can we graph the motion of all three cars to visualize the overtaking process?

Tip: Always convert speeds into consistent units (e.g., m/s) for accurate calculations in time and distance problems!

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Relative Speed
Time-Distance Calculation
Linear Motion

Formulas

Relative speed = speed of first object + speed of second object (if approaching)
Time = Distance / Speed
Distance covered = Speed × Time

Theorems

Relative Velocity Theorem

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 9-11