Question 322140: During a multi daY camping trip Gary Wadkins Rowed 17 hours downstream. It took 26.5 hours to row upstream to travel the same distance. If the speed of the current is 6.8 km per hour less than his rowing speed in still water, find his rowing speed and the speed of the current.
Answer by galactus(183)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website! This one is slightly trickier than most of these up and down stream problems.
When Gary rows with the stream (downstream) he is moving at a rate equal to his rate in still water plus the rate of the current.
When he rows upstream, against the water, he is moving at a rate equal to his rate in still water minus the rate of the current.
Let r=his rate in still water and c=rate of current.
Therefore, since d=rt, and the distances up and back are the same, we have
17(r+c)=26.5(r-c)
But, we are told that c=r-6.8
17(r+(r-6.8))=26.5(r-(r-6.8))
r=8.7 is his rate in still water
Thus, the rate of the current is 1.9
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