SOLUTION: A mathematics teacher was getting his exercise by rowing a boat upstream. As he passed under a low bridge, his hat was knocked off. It was not, however, until 5 minutes later that

Question 237756: A mathematics teacher was getting his exercise by rowing a boat upstream. As he passed under a low bridge, his hat was knocked off. It was not, however, until 5 minutes later that he noticed his hat was missing. At this time he turned around and rowed with the same effort downstream. He retrieved his hat at a point precisely one mile downstream from the offending bridge. How fast was the current flowing?

Answer by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
: A mathematics teacher was getting his exercise by rowing a boat upstream.
As he passed under a low bridge, his hat was knocked off.
It was not, however, until 5 minutes later that he noticed his hat was missing.
At this time he turned around and rowed with the same effort downstream.
He retrieved his hat at a point precisely one mile downstream from the offending bridge.
How fast was the current flowing?
:
His relationship to the hat is not affected by the current.
It would take him 5 min to return to the point where the hat is in the water.
That point in relationship to the bridge will have traveled one mile in 10 minutes.
( 5 min to discover the hat missing, and 5 min to return to the hat)
:
C = 1 mi in 10 min
then
C = 6 mph is the current

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