SOLUTION: swimming with the current for 36 minutes, i traveled 1.5 miles. Swimming back to where i started against the current it took 1 hour. what is the rate at which i swam in still water

Question 427802: swimming with the current for 36 minutes, i traveled 1.5 miles. Swimming back to where i started against the current it took 1 hour. what is the rate at which i swam in still water? What is the rate of the current?
----- i cannot figure out how to start this problem.
Answer by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
swimming with the current for 36 minutes, i traveled 1.5 miles.
Swimming back to where i started against the current it took 1 hour.
what is the rate at which i swam in still water?
What is the rate of the current?
:
Let s = swim speed in still water
Let c = rate of the current
:
Change 36 min to .6 hrs
:
Write two distance equation, one for each way, Dist = speed * time
.6s + .6c = 1.5
and
1s - 1c = 1.5
s = (c + 1.5)
:
replace s with (c+1.5) in the 1st equation
.6(c + 1.5) + .6c = 1.5
.6c + .9 + .6c = 1.5
1.2c = 1.5 - .9
1.2c = .6
c =
c = .5 mph is the current
:
Find s using the 2nd equation
s - .5 = 1.5
s = 1.5 + .5
s = 2 mph is the swimming speed
:
:
Check solutions in the 1st equation
.6(2) + .6(.5) = 1.5
1.2 + .3 = 1.5
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