SOLUTION: A BOY USES A MOVING SIDEWALK IN AN AIRPORT. WHEN HE RUNS IN THE DIRECTION OF THE MOVING SIDEWALK HE CAN GO 303 METERS IN 3 MINUTES.WHEN HE RUNS BACK AGAINST THE MOVING SIDEWALK HE

Algebra ->  Customizable Word Problem Solvers  -> Travel -> SOLUTION: A BOY USES A MOVING SIDEWALK IN AN AIRPORT. WHEN HE RUNS IN THE DIRECTION OF THE MOVING SIDEWALK HE CAN GO 303 METERS IN 3 MINUTES.WHEN HE RUNS BACK AGAINST THE MOVING SIDEWALK HE       Log On

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Question 166836: A BOY USES A MOVING SIDEWALK IN AN AIRPORT. WHEN HE RUNS IN THE DIRECTION OF THE MOVING SIDEWALK HE CAN GO 303 METERS IN 3 MINUTES.WHEN HE RUNS BACK AGAINST THE MOVING SIDEWALK HE CAN ONLY GO 275 METERS IN 5 MINUTES. HOW FAST DOES THE BOY RUN WHEN THE SIDFWALK IS STILL? HOW FAST DOES THE MOVING SIDEWALK RUN?
Answer by Mathtut(3670) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
lets call the boys rate with the sidewalk=rw and rw=r+rs r being the rate of the boy and rs being the rate of the sidewalk
lets call the boys rate against the sidewalk and ra=r-rs
now figuring rates we have rw=303/3=101
: ra=275/5= 55
using our equations above we arrive at 101=r+rs
: and 55=r-rs
adding the 1st and 2nd equation together we arrive at 2r=156 so r=78
since r=78 then rs=101-78=23
so the rate of the boy is 78 meters per minute
and the rate of the sidewalk is 23 meters per minute