SOLUTION: You row a canoe x miles per hour down a river for 20 mins. On the return trip, you travel 1 mile per hour slower. The return trip takes 30 mins. How far did you ride in the cano

Algebra ->  Customizable Word Problem Solvers  -> Travel -> SOLUTION: You row a canoe x miles per hour down a river for 20 mins. On the return trip, you travel 1 mile per hour slower. The return trip takes 30 mins. How far did you ride in the cano      Log On

Ad: Over 600 Algebra Word Problems at edhelper.com


    

Question 1144504: You row a canoe x miles per hour down a river for 20 mins. On the return trip, you travel 1 mile per hour slower. The return trip takes 30 mins. How far did you ride in the canoe in total?
Answer by ikleyn(52756) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
.

Rowing at the rate x miles per hour down the river, the rower covers the distance %281%2F3%29%2Ax  miles.

    Notice  1%2F3 = 1%2F3 of an hour = 20 minutes.



On the way back, the rower's rate is (x-1) miles per hour, so his way back is  %281%2F2%29%2A%28x-1%29  miles long.

    Notice  1%2F2 = 1%2F2 of an hour = 30 minutes.


The distance both ways is the same


    %281%2F3%29%2Ax = %281%2F2%29%2A%28x-1%29.


Solve it. Start multiplying both sides by 6. You will get


    2x = 3*(x-1)

    2x = 3x - 3

    3 = 3x - 2x

    x = 3.


Thus you found the rate of canoe downstream:  it is 3 miles per hour.


In 20 minutes, it gives the distance  %281%2F3%29%2A3 = 1 mile.    ANSWER


You can check the answer by your own by substituting the found values into the condition.

Solved.