Travel Problem (Meeting) Calculator
Find when two people moving toward each other from a given distance apart will meet, plus each person's travel distance and the meeting point.
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Input
Find how long it takes for two people, a set distance apart, to meet when they move toward each other at the same time.
Enter each person''s speed, using the same unit system as the distance.
Result
Time until they meet
10min
Person 1 distance
700 m
Person 2 distance
500 m
Meeting point
700 m from person 1 start
Solution steps
Find the sum of the speeds: 70 plus 50 = 120 m/min.
Divide the distance by the combined speed to get the meeting time: 1,200 divided by 120 = 10 min.
Person 1 distance is speed times time: 70 times 10 = 700 m.
Person 2 distance is speed times time: 50 times 10 = 500 m.
How it works
- In a meeting travel problem, two people move toward each other, so the gap between them shrinks each unit of time by the sum of their speeds.
- The time until they meet equals the distance divided by the sum of the two speeds: time = distance divided by (speed1 plus speed2).
- Each person's distance traveled equals their own speed multiplied by the meeting time.
- The meeting point lies at person 1's travel distance from person 1's start, which equals person 2's travel distance from person 2's start.
- Enter the distance and speeds in a consistent unit system, for example meters with meters per minute.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I find the time until they meet?
- When two people move toward each other the gap closes by the sum of their speeds each minute, so time = distance ÷ (speed 1 + speed 2). Each person's distance traveled is their own speed multiplied by that meeting time.
- How is this different from the catch-up travel problem?
- A meeting problem has the two moving toward each other, so you divide by the sum of their speeds. A catch-up problem has them moving in the same direction, so you divide by the difference of their speeds instead — use the catch-up calculator for that case.
- Do the distance and speed units need to match?
- Yes. Enter distance and speed in the same unit system, such as meters together with meters per minute. Mixing units gives a wrong meeting time and meeting point.
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