Two missiles are initially 5000 miles apart. They travel along a straight line directly towards one another, one traveling at 2000 miles per hour and the other at 1000 miles per hour. How many miles apart are they 1 minute before impact?

d = 5,000 mi the distance between the missiles

v1 = 2,000 mph the rate of the first missile

v2 = 1,000 mph the rate of the second missile

t = 1 min = 1/60 hr

Since distance = speed*time the distance 1 minute before the impact is:

v1t + v2t = t (v1 + v2) = (1/60) (2,000 + 1,000) = 50 miles.