Zebras run faster than elephants - it's true. This illustration shows you how to find the speed of each animal and avoid using a rational equation.
The two cars are going the same distance but at different rates - again we avoid a rational equation and determine the speed.
In this problem all three elements of the set-up are different - distances, rates and times. The resulting equation is still quadratic but there is another twist to it - and a clever trick to avoiding the rational equation.