SOLUTION: At the sailboat race, sailboats start at 1 minute intervals. Boat B is scheduled to start immediately following Boat A. The capt of boat B feels his boat can sail 1 km/h faster tha

Algebra.Com
Question 325480: At the sailboat race, sailboats start at 1 minute intervals. Boat B is scheduled to start immediately following Boat A. The capt of boat B feels his boat can sail 1 km/h faster than boat A. What is the average speed of each boat if Boat B overtakes Boat A 4km for the start?
Answer by stanbon(75887)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
At the sailboat race, sailboats start at 1 minute intervals.
Boat B is scheduled to start immediately following Boat A.
The capt of boat B feels his boat can sail 1 km/h faster than boat A.
What is the average speed of each boat if Boat B overtakes Boat A 4km for the start?
---
Boat A DATA:
distance = 4 km ; rate = x km/h ; time = 4/x hours
------
Boat B DATA:
distance = 4 km ; rate = (x+1) km/h ; time = 4/(x+1) hrs
------------------------------------------
Equation:
A time - B time = 1/60 hr
---
4/x - 4/(x+1) = 1/60 hrs
-----
Multiply thru by 60x(x+1) to get:
4*60(x+1) - 4*60(x) = x(x+1)
240 = x^2+x
---
x^2 +x -240 = 0
---
(x-15)(x+16) = 0
Positive solution:
x = 15 km/h (A-boat speed)
x+1 = 16 km/h (B-boat speed)
===============================
Cheers,
Stan H.

RELATED QUESTIONS

Two sailboats, one averaging 20 miles per hour and the other 18 miles per hour, start at... (answered by mananth)
Two sailboats, one averaging 20 miles per hour and the other 18 miles per hour, start at... (answered by Alan3354)
The winning sailboat completed a 24-mile race at an average speed of 9 miles/hour. The... (answered by mananth)
Three power boats in a 500 km handicap race leave at 5 hourly intervals. Boat A leaves... (answered by mananth)
Boat builders share an old rule of thumb for sailboats. The maximum speed K in knots is... (answered by ankor@dixie-net.com)
2 boats (B1 and B2) start off at opposite ends of a lake heading for the staring point of (answered by ankor@dixie-net.com)
1.two cars are 500 miles apart and moving directly towards each other.One car is moving... (answered by stanbon)
A scientist wants to go to a small island 5km south of the coastline and 13km from the... (answered by ankor@dixie-net.com)
Sailboat Races The speed that a sailboat is capable of sailing is determined by three... (answered by ankor@dixie-net.com)