MATH STINGER #9

    by Dr. Joel C. Fowler
    Assistant Professor of Mathematics

    
     The new puzzle for this issue is as follows.  Two cars face
each other 250 miles apart on a straight road.  They begin
driving toward each other at the same instant.  The first goes 40
mph while the second goes 30 mph.  At the instant they begin a
fly on the bumper of the first car takes off and flies straight
toward the second car at 100 mph.  As soon as the fly touches the
bumper of the second car it turns around (with no loss of time)
and flies back to the first.  When it touches the first bumper it
turns around again and flies back to the second.  It continues to
fly back and forth, covering shorter and shorter distances as the
cars approach each other,  until it is crushed between them.  The
problem is to determine exactly how much distance the fly covers.
     

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