SOLUTION: Help... A sailboat travels 20 miles downstream in 4 hours. It returns in 5 hours. Find the speed of the sailboat in still water and the rate of the current. Ugggg Thanks

Question 282483: Help...
A sailboat travels 20 miles downstream in 4 hours. It returns in 5 hours. Find the speed of the sailboat in still water and the rate of the current.
Ugggg
Thanks
Answer by Alan3354(69443) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
A sailboat travels 20 miles downstream in 4 hours. It returns in 5 hours. Find the speed of the sailboat in still water and the rate of the current
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Write down what you know:
b = speed of the boat
c = speed of the current
Downstream the speed is b+c
Upstream it's b-c
The distance is the same
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d = rt
20 = 4*(b+c) = 5*(b-c)
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4b + 4c = 20
5b - 5c = 20
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b + c = 5
b - c = 4
------------ Add
2b = 9
b = 4.5 mph
------------
c = 1/2 mph

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