Haretown and Tortoiseville are 54 miles apart. A hare travels at 8 miles per hour from Haretown to Tortoiseville, while a tortoise travels at 1 miles per hour from Tortoiseville to Haretown. If both set out at the same time, how many miles will the hare have to travel before meeting the tortoise en route?

Since the hare and tortoise move toward each other, their speeds add: 8 + 1 = 9 miles per hour combined closing speed. Covering the 54-mile gap takes 54 ÷ 9 = 6 hours, and in that time the hare (traveling at 8 mph) covers 8 × 6 = 48 miles before meeting the tortoise.

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