SOLUTION: A mississippi riverboat can travel 30km downstream in 3 hours and make the return trip in 5 hours. Find the speed of the boat in still water.
Question 90989: A mississippi riverboat can travel 30km downstream in 3 hours and make the return trip in 5 hours. Find the speed of the boat in still water. Answer by stanbon(75887) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website! A mississippi riverboat can travel 30km downstream in 3 hours and make the return trip in 5 hours. Find the speed of the boat in still water.
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Downstream DATA:
distance = 30 km ; time = 3 hrs ; rate = d/t = 10kph
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Upstream DATA:
distance = 30 km ; time = 5 hrs ; rate = d/t = 6 kph
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let b be the speed of the riverboat in still water
let c be the speed of the current
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EQUATION:
b+c=10 kph
b-c=6 kph
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Add to get:
2b = 16 kph
b = 8 kph (this is the speed of the riverboat in still water)
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Substitute to solve for current speed:
8+c=10
c=2 kph (this is the speed of the current)
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Cheers,
Stan H.
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