SOLUTION: A certain boat traveled 32 km along with the current and 16 km against the current. In the same amount of time, find the rate of the boat if the rate of the current is 2 kph.

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Question 1165635: A certain boat traveled 32 km along with the current and 16 km against the current. In the same amount of time, find the rate of the boat if the rate of the current is 2 kph.

Answer by greenestamps(13203) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!


In the same amount of time, the ratio of distances traveled is 32/16 = 2. Since the times are the same, the ratio of the rates is also 2.

Let x be the rate of the boat in still water; then the downstream and upstream rates are x+2 and x-2. So

%28x%2B2%29%2F%28x-2%29+=+2

Solve using basic algebra.