Question

two cars that are 150 miles apart start driving toward each other on parallel roads. the average speed of the first car is 60 miles per hour. the average speed of the second car is 55 miles per hour. which equation can be used to determine t, the time it takes for the two cars to pass each other?

	rate (mi/h)	time (h)	distance (miles)
first car	60	t	60t
second car	55	t	55t

$60t + 55t = 150$
$60t - 55t = 0$
$60t + 55t = 1$
$60t - 55t = 150$

Explanation:

Step1: Understand the problem

Two cars are 150 miles apart and moving towards each other. The distance each car travels is given by \( \text{distance} = \text{rate} \times \text{time} \). For the first car, distance is \( 60t \), and for the second car, it's \( 55t \). When they pass each other, the sum of their distances should equal the initial distance between them (150 miles).

Step2: Set up the equation

The distance traveled by the first car (\( 60t \)) plus the distance traveled by the second car (\( 55t \)) should equal 150 miles. So the equation is \( 60t + 55t = 150 \).

Answer:

\( 60t + 55t = 150 \) (the first equation option)