SOLUTION: you are going on a canoe trip. you go downstream 15 miles in three hours. the trip back to your car takes 5 hours. how fast are you paddling in still water and how fast is the curr

Question 998915: you are going on a canoe trip. you go downstream 15 miles in three hours. the trip back to your car takes 5 hours. how fast are you paddling in still water and how fast is the current?
Answer by mananth(16946) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
canoe speed =x mph
current speed =y mph
against current 5 hours
with current 3 hours

Distance against 15 miles distance with 15 miles
t=d/r against current -
15 / ( x - y )= 5
5 ( x - y ) = 15
5 x - 5 y = 15 ....................1

15 / ( x + y )= 3.00
3.00 ( x + y ) = 15
3.00 x + 3.00 y = 15 ...............2
Multiply (1) by 5
Multiply (2) by 3
we get
25.00 x + -25 y = 75
9.00 x + 9 y = 45
34 x = 120
/ 34
x = 4 mph

plug value of x in (1)
5 x -5 y = 15
18 -5 y = 15
-5 y = 15 -18
-5 y = -3 mph
y = 1
canoe speed 4 mph
current speed 1 mph

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