One car travels 180 miles in the same amount of time it takes a second car traveling 6 miles per hour slower than the first to go 162 miles. What are the speeds of the cars?
A) 65 mph; 59 mph
B) 45 mph; 39 mph
C) 60 mph; 54 mph
D) 80 mph; 74 mph
E) 50 mph; 44 mph

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Let the speed of the first car be x miles per hour.
Then, the speed of the second car is (x-6) miles per hour.
Let the time taken by both cars be t hours.

According to the problem,

Distance traveled by the first car = 180 miles
Distance traveled by the second car = 162 miles

Using the formula: distance = speed × time,

We can write the following equations:

180 = x × t
162 = (x-6) × t

Dividing the second equation by the first equation, we get:

162/180 = (x-6)/x

Simplifying this, we get:

9/10 = ((x-6)/x)

Solving for x, we get:

x = 60

Therefore, the speed of the first car is 60 mph, and the speed of the second car is (60-6) = 54 mph.

Hence, the answer is C.

One Car Travels 180 Miles in the Same Amount of Time