SOLUTION: A couple took a small airplane for a flight to the wine country for a romantic dinner and then returned home. The plane flew a total of 8 hours and each way the trip was 424 miles

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Question 1149196: A couple took a small airplane for a flight to the wine country for a romantic dinner and then returned home. The plane flew a total of 8 hours and each way the trip was 424 miles. If the plane was flying at 180 miles per hour, what was the speed of the wind that affected the plane?
Answer by greenestamps(13203) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!


x = wind speed

180+x = airplane speed with wind
180-x = airplane speed against the wind

424/(180+x) = hours with the wind
424/(180-x) = hours against the wind

The total time was 8 hours:

424%2F%28180%2Bx%29%2B424%2F%28180-x%29+=+8

The solution is not a "nice" number; so the equation is most easily solved by using a graphing calculator to graph the two expressions on either side of the equal sign and finding their point of intersection.