A travels at 40 kmph. B travels at 60 kmph. They are travelling towards each…
2024
A travels at 40 kmph. B travels at 60 kmph. They are travelling towards each other. By the time they meet, B would have travelled 120 km more than A. Find the total distance.
Answer: A. 600 — When two travellers start moving towards each other at the same moment, the time until they meet is the same for both of them. In that common time, each…
- A.
600
- B.
700
- C.
800
- D.
1000
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
When two travellers start moving towards each other at the same moment, the time until they meet is the same for both of them. In that common time, each covers a distance equal to their own speed times the time, so the gap between the distances they cover equals the difference of their speeds times that same time.
Application:
Let t be the time (in hours) taken for A and B to meet.
In time t, A covers 40t km and B covers 60t km.
B covers 120 km more than A, so 60t − 40t = 120.
Simplifying, 20t = 120, so t = 6 hours.
Total distance = A's distance + B's distance = 40 × 6 + 60 × 6 = 240 + 360 = 600 km.
Cross-check: The two travellers close the gap between them at a combined speed of 40 + 60 = 100 kmph, so a 600 km total should take 600 ÷ 100 = 6 hours — matching the time found above. Also, B's distance minus A's distance is 360 − 240 = 120 km, exactly the lead stated in the question, confirming the total distance of 600 km.
