SOLUTION: River flows at 2 mph. Phil can paddle in still water at 8 mph. If he is 4 miles downstream from a log floating toward him, how long will it take him to reach the log?

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Question 22105: River flows at 2 mph. Phil can paddle in still water at 8 mph. If he is 4 miles downstream from a log floating toward him, how long will it take him to reach the log?
Found 2 solutions by Paul, JWG:
Answer by Paul(988) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
4(t+2)=8(t-2)
4t+8=8t-16
4t=8t-24
-4t=-24

t=6
Hence, the log would take 6 miuntes to reach him.

Answer by JWG(21) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
I hope that I am not messing things up around here:
Question says log is floating toward Phil, so it implies that the log is traveling the same speed of the stream while Phil paddles. Furthermore, Phil had his speed plus the streams speed
Stream Speed: 2mph
Phil Speed and stream speed working together: 8mph+2mph=10mph
Combined Speed: 2+8+2=12mph
Distance of log from Phil: 4miles
Distance/Speed=Time: 4/12=1/3
Will take 1/3 of an hour for Phil and the log to meet, and an hour is 60 minutes.
(60/1)*(1/3)=20 minutes
Answer: Phil and the log will meet in 20 minutes.