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Re: A bus from city M is traveling to city N at a constant speed [#permalink]
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This was good :)
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Re: A bus from city M is traveling to city N at a constant speed [#permalink]
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GreenlightTestPrep wrote:
Carcass wrote:
A bus from city M is traveling to city N at a constant speed while another bus is making the same journey in the opposite direction at the same constant speed. They meet in point P after driving for two hours. The following day the buses do the return trip at the same constant speed. One bus is delayed 24 minutes and the other leaves 36 minutes earlier. If they meet 24 miles from point P, what is the distance between the two cities?

A.48
B.72
C.96
D.120
E. 192


Buses traveling at SAME speeds meet in point P after driving for 2 hours.
IMPORTANT: Since the 2 buses are traveling at the SAME speed, then point P must be HALF WAY between city M and city N

Also recognize that the TOTAL travel time = 4hrs (2 hrs for each bus)

TOTAL distance traveled = (distance one bus traveled) + (distance other bus traveled)
Distance = (travel time)(rate)
Let r = the rate that EACH bus is traveling.
So, we get: TOTAL distance traveled = 2r + 2r = 4r
So, from the above fact, the distance from point P to city M (and to city N) = 4r/2 = 2r

One bus is delayed 24 minutes and the other leaves 36 minutes earlier. If they meet 24 miles from point P, what is the distance between the two cities?
Another way to read this is: One bus leaves its city. ONE HOUR LATER, the other bus leaves its city.
Let's say Bus A leaves city M at noon, and Bus B leaves city N at 1pm.
Let t = Bus A's travel time until they meet
So, Let t-1 = Bus B's travel time until they meet

Since the TOTAL travel time = 4hrs, we can write: t + (t-1) = 4
Solve to get: t = 2.5
So, Bus A traveled for 2.5 hours, Bus B traveled for 1.5 hours,
This means Bus A traveled further. In fact, Bus A travels PAST point P (which is halfway between cities M and N) for an ADDITIONAL 24 miles
In other words, Bus A's travel distance = 2r + 24
Since Bus A traveled for 2.5 hours at a rate of r, we can write: 2.5r = 2r + 24
Multiply both sides by 2 to get: 5r = 4r + 48
Solve: r = 48

TOTAL distance traveled = 4r
= 4(48)
= 192

Answer: E

Cheers,
Brent



Very tough :cry:
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Re: A bus from city M is traveling to city N at a constant speed [#permalink]
AlaminMolla wrote:

Very tough :cry:


Very tough indeed! A 165+ level question for sure.

Cheers,
Brent
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Re: A bus from city M is traveling to city N at a constant speed [#permalink]
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I usually teach problems like this with a picture, even if only to help guide my algebra. Because the trains are going at the same speed, the meeting point must be precisely halfway between the positions the trains are in at the moment they start moving toward one another. When they leave at the same time, it will look like this:

|------|------*|------|------|

It takes one hour to go from one tick to the next one. The trains meet at the distance covered by one train in two hours, and since that is the exact halfway point, the total distance will be four hours worth of travel.

|xxxxxx|------|---*---|------|

For the second trip, one train has been moving for a full hour before the other one moves, so it must be one hour's worth of distance past its starting point before the other train starts. From that point and the other train's starting point, we can see the middle is exactly a half-hour's distance from the old meeting point.

We are told that this distance, which we just figured out to be a half-hour's worth of travel, is 24 miles. We can then multiply that number by 8 (there are eight half-hours in four hours) to get the answer of 192.

Some students do better just going right to the algebra, and some find the picture to be helpful in understanding the situation. Your mileage may vary.

-Jordan Wolbrum
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A bus from city M is traveling to city N at a constant speed [#permalink]
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Carcass wrote:
A bus from city M is traveling to city N at a constant speed while another bus is making the same journey in the opposite direction at the same constant speed. They meet in point P after driving for two hours. The following day the buses do the return trip at the same constant speed. One bus is delayed 24 minutes and the other leaves 36 minutes earlier. If they meet 24 miles from point P, what is the distance between the two cities?

A.48

B.72

C.96

D.120

E. 192


This is indeed a Devilish Question!

Let us assume, the speeds of both the buses as \(x\) m/hr
Since, they have same speeds and took 2 hours to meet, they must have met at the mid-point
i.e distance travelled by each bus = Speed x Time = \(2x\) miles

Therefore, the Total distance must be \(4x\) miles

Let us assume, that both buses leave from their respective destinations at 8:00 AM.
Now, as per the question, One bus left at 7:24 AM (36 minutes early) and the other bus left at 8:24 AM (24 minutes late)
Notice, a gap of 1 hour between them! (36 + 24 = 60 minutes)
So, in 1 hour, the bus which left at 7:24 AM must have travelled a distance of \(x\) miles

Distance left between the buses = \(4x - x = 3x\) miles
And, they meet 24 miles from where they usually meet

So, the bus which left early has to travel \((x + 24)\) miles and the bus which left late has to travel \((2x - 24)\) miles for the new point of meeting.
Now, the time taken by both the buses to reach the new point of meeting at speed \(x\) m/hr would be same
i.e.
\(\frac{(2x - 24)}{x} = \frac{(x + 24)}{x}\)
\(2x - 24 = x + 24\)
\(x = 48\) m/hr

The total distance between 2 cities = \(4x = (4)(48) = 192\) miles

Hence, option E

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Re: A bus from city M is traveling to city N at a constant speed [#permalink]
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Carcass wrote:
A bus from city M is traveling to city N at a constant speed while another bus is making the same journey in the opposite direction at the same constant speed. They meet in point P after driving for two hours. The following day the buses do the return trip at the same constant speed. One bus is delayed 24 minutes and the other leaves 36 minutes earlier. If they meet 24 miles from point P, what is the distance between the two cities?

A.48

B.72

C.96

D.120

E. 192


The statement in the question "The following day the buses do the return trip at the same constant speed." is misleading. The "return trip", normally, means the buses, which have met at point P on the first day, return to their start place. In this case, one bus returns to city M and the other returns to city N.

Period.
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A bus from city M is traveling to city N at a constant speed [#permalink]
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Since they travel same speed, let speed of the 2 buses be x



Distance between M and N

d= 2x + 2x

= 4x

Since they are travelling in opposite direction and one bus has one hour head start, distance they have to cover is 3x and combined speed is 2x

So time they meet

t = 3x/2x

=1.5h

Which is 0.5h difference from first meeting point.


To calculate speed within the 24miles journey

0.5 = 24/x

x =48

Distance between M and N = 4x 48
= 192

Answer E

Adewale Fasipe, GRE quant instructor from Nigeria.
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Re: A bus from city M is traveling to city N at a constant speed [#permalink]
guestuser wrote:
Carcass wrote:
A bus from city M is traveling to city N at a constant speed while another bus is making the same journey in the opposite direction at the same constant speed. They meet in point P after driving for two hours. The following day the buses do the return trip at the same constant speed. One bus is delayed 24 minutes and the other leaves 36 minutes earlier. If they meet 24 miles from point P, what is the distance between the two cities?

A.48

B.72

C.96

D.120

E. 192


The statement in the question "The following day the buses do the return trip at the same constant speed." is misleading. The "return trip", normally, means the buses, which have met at point P on the first day, return to their start place. In this case, one bus returns to city M and the other returns to city N.

Period.



Absolutely. This question does not have a feasible answer.
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Re: A bus from city M is traveling to city N at a constant speed [#permalink]
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Among FOUR skilled tutors: Brent, Karun, GMATGuruNY, and Adewale223 NO ONE pointed out that it is a misleading question.

Saying on the contrary, it is a very good question 165+ on the GRE

Thanks
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Re: A bus from city M is traveling to city N at a constant speed [#permalink]
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