Good – or more dangerous – racing drivers are faster than other racing drivers. Towards the end of a race, the slower drivers may find themselves being lapped by other racing drivers who have completed one more circuit than they have.
If the speeds of the racing drivers areand
with
on a circuit of
miles, how long will it be before the faster driver laps the slower?
The faster driver travelsmph faster than the slower. Suppose the time for the slower driver to be lapped is
hours, then the faster driver will have travelled
miles further.
We can use the equationwith
and speed equal to the relative speed of the drivers,
to giver
Suppose thatand
The time for the slower driver to be lapped is then