SOLUTION: A boat on a river travels the same distance in 1/2 hour downstream as it can go upstream for an hour. If the boat travels 12 mph in still water, what is the speed of the current?

Question 271833: A boat on a river travels the same distance in 1/2 hour downstream as it can go upstream for an hour. If the boat travels 12 mph in still water, what is the speed of the current?

Answer by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
A boat on a river travels the same distance in 1/2 hour downstream as it can go upstream for an hour.
If the boat travels 12 mph in still water, what is the speed of the current?
:
Let c = speed of the current
then
(12-c) = speed upstream
and
(12+c) = speed downstream
:
A distance equation
1(12-c) = .5(12+c)
12 - c = 6 + .5c
12 - 6 = .5c + c
6 = 1.5c
c =
c = 4 mph is the current
:
:
Confirms this by finding the distance
12-4 = .5(12+4)
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