A motorboat leaves a harbor and travels at an average speed of 12 mph towards a small island. Two hours later, a cabin cruiser leaves the same harbor at an average speed of 24 mph toward the same island. In how many hours after the cabin cruiser leaves the harbor will it be alongside the motorboat?
A) 1 h
B) 8 h
C) 2 h
D) 7 h
E) 6 h

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Let's call the time it takes for the cabin cruiser to catch up to the motorboat "t" (in hours).

The motorboat has a head start of 12 mph x 2 hours = 24 miles.

In that time, the motorboat has traveled 12 mph x 2 hours = 24 miles.

Now, let's set up an equation to solve for "t":

Distance traveled by motorboat = Distance traveled by cabin cruiser
12t + 24 = 24t

Simplifying the equation, we get:
24 = 12t
t = 2

Therefore, it will take the cabin cruiser 2 hours to catch up to the motorboat.

Answer: C

A Motorboat Leaves a Harbor and Travels at an Average