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One train leaves Los Angeles at 15mph heading for New York.
Another train leaves from New York at 20mph heading for Los
Angeles on the same track. If a bird, flying at 25mph,
leaves from Los Angeles at the same time as the train and
flies back and forth between the two trains until they
collide, how far will the bird have traveled?

Question Posted / nandita

Answers were Sorted based on User's Feedback



One train leaves Los Angeles at 15mph heading for New York. Another train leaves from New York at 2..

Answer / rakesh and priyanka

Solution

Apply approximation.
Find the time (t hours) taken for both trains to meet:
15t + 20t = 5000
35t = 5000
35t / 35 = 5000 / 35
t = 1000/7
Find the approximated distance flied by the bird:
25 * (1000/7) = 25000/7
The distance is 25000/7 miles

Is This Answer Correct ?    32 Yes 10 No

One train leaves Los Angeles at 15mph heading for New York. Another train leaves from New York at 2..

Answer / rohan

Answer #1 by Rakesh and Priyanka is correct, except do not
assume the distance to be 5000. Take it as 'd' or 'x' or
whatever you wish, and work out the answer in terms of the
unknown.

The answer, btw, is 5d/7, which is 25000/7 if d=5000

Is This Answer Correct ?    13 Yes 2 No

One train leaves Los Angeles at 15mph heading for New York. Another train leaves from New York at 2..

Answer / rakesh

insufficient information distance between LA and NY is not
given it should be given to find the no solution

Is This Answer Correct ?    25 Yes 15 No

One train leaves Los Angeles at 15mph heading for New York. Another train leaves from New York at 2..

Answer / charkilah

There are two answers. (1) The total distance flown by the
bird back and forth, and (2) the distance from where the
bird left and where the trains collide. It is difficult to
guess from the wording which answer they are asking for.
Either way the answer is fairly straightforward.

1). The distance from L.A. when the trains collide is:
15/(15+20) = 3/7D where D is distance from LA to NY

2). The time it takes to get to this point can be
multiplied times the speed of the bird to get total
distance.
(3/7D)/15 X 25 = 5/7D

Good luck in your interview

Is This Answer Correct ?    5 Yes 1 No

One train leaves Los Angeles at 15mph heading for New York. Another train leaves from New York at 2..

Answer / ken

A distance between LA and New York is not given so we cannot
give a distance for the bird. However, we can devise a
formula that indicates how much time it will take for the
trains to meet. Once we know how long it takes for the
trains to meet we then simply multiply 25 mph by the time to
give us the distance the bird flies.

Is This Answer Correct ?    9 Yes 6 No

One train leaves Los Angeles at 15mph heading for New York. Another train leaves from New York at 2..

Answer / luigi

Always AFTER 10miles from impact point in New York
direction! ;-))

Is This Answer Correct ?    2 Yes 0 No

One train leaves Los Angeles at 15mph heading for New York. Another train leaves from New York at 2..

Answer / s chand

let total distance be 420 miles
15t+20t=420
t=12hr
they collide after 12hr
so distance covered by bird=12*25=300miles

Is This Answer Correct ?    15 Yes 14 No

One train leaves Los Angeles at 15mph heading for New York. Another train leaves from New York at 2..

Answer / manoranjan

find the time taken for collision of the train.
let us consider it to be "x"..the bird would have been
flying until the train collides..so the bird will be
traveling for "x" hrs .. the bird would have traveled "25x"
miles.....

Is This Answer Correct ?    3 Yes 2 No

One train leaves Los Angeles at 15mph heading for New York. Another train leaves from New York at 2..

Answer / brian kendig

The distance from Los Angeles to New York is roughly 2440
miles, as can be looked up online.

If the trains are moving towards each other at 15mph and
20mph, then they are closing at a rate of 35mph. The time
required to cover 2440 miles at 35mph is about 70 hours
(2440/35). (Incidentally, this means the train from LA has
traveled about 1050 miles, and the train from NY has
traveled about 1400 miles, when they collide.)

If a bird flies at 25mph for 70 hours, it will have traveled
1750 miles, which is the answer.

You don't have to worry about when it reaches either train
and turns around; all you have to know is that it flies for
70 hours.

Is This Answer Correct ?    2 Yes 1 No

One train leaves Los Angeles at 15mph heading for New York. Another train leaves from New York at 2..

Answer / travis

Ugh... The question is not looking for an answer, it's
looking for how you approach the problem. You know there is
no 'right' answer because even solving for the unknown
distance will get you a wrong answer because it assumes the
bird must make the same path as the trains which is
incorrect. The bird can fly strait, while the trains can
not. So even .714 X is incorrect. There is no answer they
just want to see how you answer it.

Is This Answer Correct ?    1 Yes 1 No

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