DAY 237

TWO CARS
Credit: Doug McKay in Parade Magazine--Ask Marilyn by Marilyn Vos Savant

Two cars depart from the same spot for the same destination. One travels at 60 miles per hour, and the other at 65 miles per hour. The faster car arrives at the destination one hour before the slower one. How far did they travel?

Answer:

780 miles.........The faster car gains five miles on the slower one each hour. Since the slower car is traveling at 60 mph, or one mile per minute, it takes the slower car five minutes to make up this distance. So the faster car gains five minutes on the slower car for every hour it travels. To gain an hour, it must travel 12 hours (60 = 5 X 12). 65 X 12 = 780.