SOLUTION: . A boat travels at the speed of 20 Miles per hour in still water. It travels 48 miles up stream, and then returns to the starting point in a total of five hours. The speed of the

Question 17892: . A boat travels at the speed of 20 Miles per hour in still water. It travels 48 miles up stream, and then returns to the starting point in a total of five hours. The speed of the current is ____ miles per hour.
Answer by xcentaur(357) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
let the speed of the boat be x = 20 mph
let the speed of the current be y mph

Then speed up stream = x-y = (20-y) mph
Distance up=48 miles
therefore Time[1] = 48/(20-y)

Speed downstream = x+y = (20+y)mph
Distance=48miles
Time[2]=48/(20+y)

Total time=5 hours
total time=48(20+y)+48/(20-y)

Hence y=plus or minus 4
Speed of the current in this context cannot be negative,hence

Speed of boat=20 mph
Speed of current=4 mph

Hope this helps,
Prabhat

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