At 12 25, Fabian left Town J for Town K, driving at a speed of 68 km/h. At 15 25, Tom also left Town J for Town K driving at a certain speed. Both of them did not change their speed throughout the journey. At 17 25, both of them passed a playground that was 272 km away from Town K. How many minutes earlier did Tom reach Town K than Fabian?

Distance that Fabian travelled
= 5 x 68
= 340 km

Distance between Town J and Town K
= 340 + 272
= 612 km

Since Tom passed the playground at the same time as Fabian, it means that Tom travelled 340 km in 2 hours.

Tom's speed during the journey
= 340 ÷ 2
= 170 km/h

Duration that Tom took to reach Town K after passing the playground
= 272 ÷ 170
= 1.6 h

Duration that Fabian took to reach Town K after passing the playground
= 272 ÷ 68
= 4 h

Difference between the time they took to reach Town K
= 4 - 1.6
= 2.4 h

1 h = 60 min
2.4 h = 2.4 x 60 = 144 min

Tom reached Town K 144 minutes earlier than Fabian.

Answer(s): 144 min