A thief steals a scooter at 1:40 p.m. and drives it at 54 km/h. The theft is discovered at 2:10 p.m. and the owner sets off to chase the thief on another scooter at 72 km/h. At what time will he catch the thief?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The correct answer is option 1 i.e. 3:40 p.m.
Head start for thief = 2:10 p.m. - 1:40 p.m. = 30 minutes = 0.5 hours
Distance covered by thief before chase = 54 × 0.5 = 27 km
Relative speed = 72 - 54 = 18 km/h
Time to catch up = 27/18 = 1.5 hours = 1 hour 30 minutes
Catch time = 2:10 p.m. + 1 hour 30 minutes = 3:40 p.m.