Two hikers walk on a trail in the direction of increasing mile marker numbers. Mandy starts at mile marker 1 and hikes at a rate of 2.5 miles per hour. At the same time, Rita starts at mile marker 2 and hikes at a rate of 3 miles per hour. The equation 2.5h+1=3h+2 represents the number of hours h it will take Mandy to catch up with Rita.

Let as consider, we need to find the number of hours h it will take Mandy to catch up with Rita.

Given:

The number of hours h it will take Mandy to catch up with Rita is represented by the equation

To find:

The value of h.

Solution:

We have,

Isolate the variable terms on one side.

Divide both sides by -0.5.

We know that, time cannot be negative. So, .

The equation is not true for any positive value of h.

Therefore, Mandy will never catch up with Rita.