THE BICYCLES AND THE FLY
Two BOYS on bicycles, 20 miles apart, began racing directly toward each other. The instant they started, a fly on the handle bar of one bicycle started flying straight toward the other cyclist. As soon as it reached the other handle bar it turned and started back. The fly flew back and forth in this way, from handle bar to handle bar, until the two bicycles met.
If each bicycle had a constant speed of 10 miles an hour, and the fly flew at constant speed of 15 miles an hour, how far did the fly fly?
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1 solution
Each bicycle travels at 10 miles an hour, so they will meet at the center of the 20-mile distance in exactly one hour. The fly travels at 15 miles an hour, so at the end of the hour it will have gone 15 miles.