SOLUTION: A boat crew that can row at a rate of 8 miles per hour in still water has found that it takes 1.5 times as long to row any specified distance upstream as it does to row the same di

Algebra ->  Equations -> SOLUTION: A boat crew that can row at a rate of 8 miles per hour in still water has found that it takes 1.5 times as long to row any specified distance upstream as it does to row the same di      Log On


   

Question 911667: A boat crew that can row at a rate of 8 miles per hour in still water has found that it takes 1.5 times as long to row any specified distance upstream as it does to row the same distance downstream. What is the rate of the current in miles per hour?
Answer by josgarithmetic(39616) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
_______________rate__________time__________distance
UP_____________8-c___________(1.5)t________d
DOWN___________8+c___________t_____________d

t is the time to go downstream for distance d.
c is speed of the river current.
d is the specifiable distance.
The unknown variables are t and c.

Upstream is against the current, so is less a rate and takes MORE TIME.
The same distance d for both directions in the description.

This specific problem does not have a unique solution.
%283%2F2%29%288-c%29t=d and %288%2Bc%29t=d, and since those are two formulas for d, highlight%28%283%2F2%29%288-c%29t=%288%2Bc%29t%29.

If you knew something more about time, you could solve for c.