SOLUTION: A mississippi riverboat can travel 30km downstream in 3 hours and make the return trip in 5 hours. Find the speed of the boat in still water.

Question 90989: A mississippi riverboat can travel 30km downstream in 3 hours and make the return trip in 5 hours. Find the speed of the boat in still water.
Answer by stanbon(75887) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
A mississippi riverboat can travel 30km downstream in 3 hours and make the return trip in 5 hours. Find the speed of the boat in still water.
------------
Downstream DATA:
distance = 30 km ; time = 3 hrs ; rate = d/t = 10kph
---------------
Upstream DATA:
distance = 30 km ; time = 5 hrs ; rate = d/t = 6 kph
----------------
let b be the speed of the riverboat in still water
let c be the speed of the current
------------------------
EQUATION:
b+c=10 kph
b-c=6 kph
-------------
Add to get:
2b = 16 kph
b = 8 kph (this is the speed of the riverboat in still water)
---------------
Substitute to solve for current speed:
8+c=10
c=2 kph (this is the speed of the current)
================
Cheers,
Stan H.
RELATED QUESTIONS
A Mississippi riverboat can travel 60 kilometers downstream in 3 hours and can make the... (answered by checkley79)

A Mississippi riverboat can travel 70 kilometers downstream in 5 hours and can make the... (answered by josmiceli)

A Mississippi riverboat can travel 70 kilometers downstream in 5 hours and can make the... (answered by mananth)

A Mississippi riverboat can travel 40 kilometers downstream in 3 hours and can make the... (answered by scott8148)

a mississippi riverboat can travel 75 kilometers downstream in three hours and can make... (answered by longjonsilver)

A riverboat can travel 30km downstream in 3 hrs & can make the return trip in 5 hrs. Find (answered by josgarithmetic)

A Mississippi riverboat travels 24 miles downstream in three hours and then makes the... (answered by stanbon)

A boat can travel 24 miles downstream in 2 hours and can make the return trip in 3 hours. (answered by ewatrrr)

A boat can go 72 miles downstream in 3 hours, and can make the return trip in 4 hours.... (answered by tommyt3rd)