A large ice floe is floating at a speed of 3 kilometers per hour. A polar bear leaves the floe and swims in the opposite direction at 9 kilometers per hour. How long will it be before the polar bear is 4 kilometers away from the floe?

How do I do this? My teacher never teaches me!

Question

Caitlin Brown

Mathematics

24 December, 13:52

A large ice floe is floating at a speed of 3 kilometers per hour. A polar bear leaves the floe and swims in the opposite direction at 9 kilometers per hour. How long will it be before the polar bear is 4 kilometers away from the floe?

How do I do this? My teacher never teaches me!

+1

Answers (1)

Know the Answer?

Aldo Haynes · Answer 1

Ok, so the total distance will be 4 kilometers

remember, distance=speed times time

the polar bear's distance=9km/h times t or 9t

t is time in hours

the floe's distance = 3km/hr times t or 3t

total disatace=polar bear disatnce+floe's distance=9t+3t=12t

so when will this distance eqal 4km?

4=12t

divide both sides by 12

4/12=t

1/3=t

about 20 mins or 1/3 hour

A large ice floe is floating at a speed of 3 kilometers per hour. A polar bear leaves the floe and swims in the opposite direction at 9 kilometers per hour. How long will it be before the polar bear is 4 kilometers away from the floe?How do I do this? My teacher never teaches me!

A large ice floe is floating at a speed of 3 kilometers per hour. A polar bear leaves the floe and swims in the opposite direction at 9 kilometers per hour. How long will it be before the polar bear is 4 kilometers away from the floe?

How do I do this? My teacher never teaches me!