SOLUTION: A tugboat goes 160 miles an hour upstream in 20 hrs. The return trip downstream takes 10 hrs. Find the speed of the tugboat without a current and the speed of the current.

Question 621016: A tugboat goes 160 miles an hour upstream in 20 hrs. The return trip downstream takes 10 hrs. Find the speed of the tugboat without a current and the speed of the current.
Answer by josmiceli(19441) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Let = the speed of the tugboat without a current
Let = the speed of the current
Going upstream:
(1)
-------------
Going downstream:
(2)
--------------------
(1)
and
(2)
---------------
Add (1) and (2)
(1)
(2)

and, since
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
The speed of the tugboat without a current is 12 mi/hr
The speed of the current is 4 mi/hr
check:
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
OK
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