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Question P6 Same time, same distance

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Race cars — Car A and Car B

Two remote-control race cars, Car A and Car B, started from the same line on a track at 14:00. Both did not change their speed throughout the race. Car A travelled at a constant speed of 36 km/h. When it crossed the finish line at 14:20, Car B was 1.5 km from the finish line. What was Car B's speed?

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About this method

Same time, same distance

Two travellers spend the same time, or cover the same distance.

In this one. Because both cars raced for the same 1/3 h on the same track, Car B's distance is the full track length minus its remaining gap.

the same time for bothfasterslowerthe gap grows by 2 shares per hour

How to spot it

Two travellers set off together or one chases another, with constant speeds and a question about who is ahead, when they meet, or how far apart they are.

Common mistake

Children divide the whole distance by the difference in speed instead of dividing the gap between the travellers, or compare distances covered over different lengths of time.

Practise a similar question

Standard Aladdin and Jasmine were having a race on their magic flying carpets. They left the same starting point for the market at 13 00. Both of them did not change their speed throughout the journey. Aladdin travelled at a cons…
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