document.write( "Question 152709: The speed of an airplane in still air is 250 km. The plane travels 632 km
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document.write( "against the wind and 1343 km with the wind in a total time of 15 hours. What is the speed of the wind? \r
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document.write( "Thank You. I have been at this problem for hours. \n" );
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Algebra.Com's Answer #112266 by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740)![]() ![]() You can put this solution on YOUR website! The speed of an airplane in still air is 250 km. The plane travels 632 km \n" ); document.write( "against the wind and 1343 km with the wind in a total time of 15 hours. What is the speed of the wind? \n" ); document.write( ": \n" ); document.write( "Write down what you know: \n" ); document.write( "Let x = speed of the wind \n" ); document.write( "then \n" ); document.write( "(250+x) = the speed of the plane with the wind \n" ); document.write( "and \n" ); document.write( "(250-x) = the speed against the wind \n" ); document.write( ": \n" ); document.write( "Write a time equation: Time = Dist/speed \n" ); document.write( ": \n" ); document.write( "Time with + time against = 15 hrs \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "; \n" ); document.write( "Multiply equation by the common denominator: (250+x)(250-x), results \n" ); document.write( "1343(250-x) + 632(250+x) = 15(250+x)(250-x) \n" ); document.write( ": \n" ); document.write( "335750 - 1343x + 158000 + 632x = 15(62500 - x^2); FOILed \n" ); document.write( ": \n" ); document.write( "493750 - 711x = 937500 - 15x^2 \n" ); document.write( "Arrange as a quadratic equation \n" ); document.write( "15x^2 - 711x + 493750 - 937500 = 0 \n" ); document.write( ": \n" ); document.write( "15x^2 - 711x - 443750 = 0 \n" ); document.write( ": \n" ); document.write( "A nasty equation to be solved by the quadratic formula \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "In this problem a=15; b=-711; c= -443750 \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( ": \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( ": \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "The positive solution \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( ": \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "x = 197.3 is the speed of the wind \n" ); document.write( ": \n" ); document.write( ": \n" ); document.write( "Check this rather extreme solution by finding the total time: \n" ); document.write( "Speed with = 447.3; against = 52.7 \n" ); document.write( "Using a calc \n" ); document.write( "1343/447.3 + 632/52.7 = \n" ); document.write( "3.00 + 11.99 = 14.99 ~ 15 hrs\r \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " |