SOLUTION: Solve by elimination method. An airplane travels 400 miles against the wind in 5 hours, and makes the return trip with the same wind in 2 hours. Find the rate of the wind.

Question 1161270: Solve by elimination method.
An airplane travels 400 miles against the wind in 5 hours, and makes the return trip with the same wind in 2 hours. Find the rate of the wind.

Answer by Alan3354(69443) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!

An airplane travels 400 miles against the wind in 5 hours, and makes the return trip with the same wind in 2 hours. Find the rate of the wind.
---------
a = airplane's windspeed
w = windspeed
------------
400/5 = 80 mi/hr upwind
400/2 = 200 mi/hr downwind
------
a + w = 200
a - w = 80
------------------- Add
2a = 280
a = 140
w = 60
=======================
a = average of the 2, = (80 + 200)/2 = 140 mi/hr
w = 200 - 140 = 60 mi/hr
RELATED QUESTIONS
An airplane travels 400 miles against the wind in 5 hours, and makes the return trip with (answered by stanbon)

an airplane travels 400 miles against the wind in 5 hours and makes the return trip with... (answered by drk)

an airplane travels 400 miles against the wind in 4 hours, and makes the return trip in 2 (answered by checkley77)

An airplane travels 600 miles against the wind in 3.5 hours and makes the return trip... (answered by josmiceli)

an airplane travels 400 miles against the wind in 4 hours, and makes the return trip with (answered by nyc_function)

An airplane travels 400 miles in 4 hours with the wind. The return trip against the wind... (answered by josgarithmetic)

an airplane travels 800 miles against the wind in 5 hours, and makes the return trip with (answered by stanbon)

An airplane travels 600 miles against the wind in 4 hours, and makes the return trip with (answered by checkley77)

An airplane travels 600 miles against the wind in 4 hours, and makes the return trip with (answered by palanisamy)