SOLUTION: Kathy can paddle her kayak 6 miles an hour in still water. it takes her as long to paddle 5 miles up stream as 10 miles downstream in the Wabash river near Lafayette Indiana. deter

Question 378925: Kathy can paddle her kayak 6 miles an hour in still water. it takes her as long to paddle 5 miles up stream as 10 miles downstream in the Wabash river near Lafayette Indiana. determine the rivers current.
I am terrible at word problems and I am not sure how to set up the equation to solve this. Thank you for your help. Gisele
Answer by ewatrrr(24785) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!



Hi,

D = r*t OR t = D/r  Question sets up a "same time" equality:

Let c be the rate of the current:

Write as we Read



cross multiply to solve for c

5(6mph+c) = 10(6mph-c)

30mph + 5c = 60mph - 10c

15c = 30mph

c = 2mph is the rate of the current 

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