1. **State the problem:** A car and a truck start from two towns 550 km apart, traveling towards each other. The car travels at 72 km/h and the truck at 38 km/h. We need to find the time taken for them to meet. 2. **Formula used:** When two objects move towards each other, their relative speed is the sum of their speeds. 3. **Calculate relative speed:** $$\text{Relative speed} = 72 + 38 = 110 \text{ km/h}$$ 4. **Use the formula for time:** $$\text{Time} = \frac{\text{Distance}}{\text{Speed}}$$ 5. **Calculate time taken to meet:** $$\text{Time} = \frac{550}{110} = 5 \text{ hours}$$ 6. **Answer:** The two vehicles will meet after 5 hours.