At 11 40, Michael left Town N for Town P, driving at a speed of 87 km/h. At 13 40, Ryan also left Town N for Town P driving at a certain speed. Both of them did not change their speed throughout the journey. At 16 40, both of them passed a school that was 174 km away from Town P. How many minutes earlier did Ryan reach Town P than Michael?

Distance that Michael travelled
= 5 x 87
= 435 km

Distance between Town N and Town P
= 435 + 174
= 609 km

Since Ryan passed the school at the same time as Michael, it means that Ryan travelled 435 km in 3 hours.

Ryan's speed during the journey
= 435 ÷ 3
= 145 km/h

Duration that Ryan took to reach Town P after passing the school
= 174 ÷ 145
= 1.2 h

Duration that Michael took to reach Town P after passing the school
= 174 ÷ 87
= 2 h

Difference between the time they took to reach Town P
= 2 - 1.2
= 0.8 h

1 h = 60 min
0.8 h = 0.8 x 60 = 48 min

Ryan reached Town P 48 minutes earlier than Michael.

Answer(s): 48 min