SOLUTION: A boat on a river travels the same distance in 1/2 hour downstream as it can go upstream for an hour. If the boat travels 12 mph in still water, what is the speed of the current?
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Question 271833: A boat on a river travels the same distance in 1/2 hour downstream as it can go upstream for an hour. If the boat travels 12 mph in still water, what is the speed of the current?
You can put this solution on YOUR website! A boat on a river travels the same distance in 1/2 hour downstream as it can go upstream for an hour.
If the boat travels 12 mph in still water, what is the speed of the current?
:
Let c = speed of the current
then
(12-c) = speed upstream
and
(12+c) = speed downstream
:
A distance equation
1(12-c) = .5(12+c)
12 - c = 6 + .5c
12 - 6 = .5c + c
6 = 1.5c
c =
c = 4 mph is the current
:
:
Confirms this by finding the distance
12-4 = .5(12+4)
