SOLUTION: A motorboat takes 5 hours to travel 200 miles going upstream. The return trip takes 4 hours going downstream. What is the rate of the boat in still water and what is the rate of th

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Question 1196919: A motorboat takes 5 hours to travel 200 miles going upstream. The return trip takes 4 hours going downstream. What is the rate of the boat in still water and what is the rate of the current?
Answer by josgarithmetic(39618) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Thousands of these have been solved on this site by now. Look for any of them.

The effective upstream speed is 40 mph and the effective downstream speed is 50 mph. Same distance each direction ("return trip").

r boat speed no current
c speed of current
system%28r-c=40%2Cr%2Bc=50%29----------solving is not complicated.