SOLUTION: In his motorboat, Bill travels upstream at top speed to his favorite fishing spot, a distance of 36 miles. It takes him 2 hours. Returning, he finds that the trip downstream, still

Question 715480: In his motorboat, Bill travels upstream at top speed to his favorite fishing spot, a distance of 36 miles. It takes him 2 hours. Returning, he finds that the trip downstream, still at top speed, only takes 1.5 hours. Find the speed of Bill's boat and the speed of the current.
Answer by mananth(16946) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Boat speed speed =x mph
current speed =y mph
against current 2 hours
with current 1.5 hours

Distance with current 36 miles distance against current 36
t=d/r against current (x-y)
36.00 / ( x - y )= 2.00

2.00 x - -2.00 y = 36.00 ....................1
with current (x+y)
36.00 / ( x + y )= 1.50
1.50 ( x + y ) = 36.00
1.50 x + 1.50 y = 36.00 ...............2
Multiply (1) by 1.50
Multiply (2) by 2.00
we get 2.00
3.00 x + -3.00 y = 54.00
3.00 x + 3.00 y = 72.00
6.00 x = 126.00
/ 6.00
x = 21 mph

plug value of x in (1) y
2 x -2 y = 36
42 -2 -42 = 36
-2 y = 36
-2 y = -6 mph
y = 3
Boat speed 21 mph
current 3 mph

RELATED QUESTIONS
In his motorboat, Bill Ruhberg travels upstream at top speed to his favorite fishing... (answered by scott8148)

In his motorboat, Bill Ruhberg travels upstream at top speed to his favorite fishing... (answered by Alan3354)

In his motorboat, Bill Ruhberg travels upstream at top speed to his favorite... (answered by josgarithmetic,advanced_Learner)

In his motorboat, Tran travels upstream at top speed to his favorite fishing spot,... (answered by ikleyn,greenestamps)

Don uses his small motorboat to go 5 miles upstream to his favorite fishing spot. Against (answered by ptaylor)

Don Williams uses his small motorboat to go 4 miles upstream to his favorite fishing... (answered by josmiceli)

Don Williams uses his small motorboat to go 4 miles upstream to his favorite fishing... (answered by Alan3354,stanbon)

don willams uses his small motorboat to go 4 miles upstream to his favorite fishing spot. (answered by lwsshak3)