SOLUTION: A scout troop hiked 3 miles up a mountain trail. They then hiked back down the same trail. They hiked 2 miles per hour faster coming downhill. the total time for the 6 mile hike wa

Question 375577: A scout troop hiked 3 miles up a mountain trail. They then hiked back down the same trail. They hiked 2 miles per hour faster coming downhill. the total time for the 6 mile hike was 4 hours. Solve for the rate the troop hiked uphill.

Answer by mananth(16946) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
let them hike uphill at x mph
downhill they hike x+2 mph
...
distance = 3 miles
..
time up + time down = 4 hours
...
t = d/r

LCD = x(x+2)
multiply the equation by x(x+2)

..
3(x+2)+3x=4x^2+8x
3x+6+3x=4x^2+8x
reorganize
4x^2+2x-6=0
/2
2x^2+x-3=0
2x^2+3x-2x-3=0
x(2x+3)-1(2x+3)=0
(x-1)(2x+3)=0
x=1 OR x=-3/2
ignore negative
uphill rate = 1 mph
...
m.ananth@hotmail.ca
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