SOLUTION: A sail boat travels 20 miles downstream in 3 hours. I returns in 4 hours. Find the speed of the sailboat in still water and the rate of the current.
I know its 35/6 for speed and
Question 331852: A sail boat travels 20 miles downstream in 3 hours. I returns in 4 hours. Find the speed of the sailboat in still water and the rate of the current.
I know its 35/6 for speed and 5/6 but how can I check this out? Found 2 solutions by jrfrunner, Alan3354:Answer by jrfrunner(365) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website! downstream: Boat speed + current speed = total speed downstream =20/3 (distance/time)
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so B+C=20/3
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upstream: Boat speed - current speed = total speed upstream =20/4 (distance/time)
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so B-C=20/4=5
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you have the solutions B=35/6, C=5/6
to check that these are in fact the solutions
just substitute these values into either B+C=20/3 or B-C=5 and see if left side of the equation equals the right side
You can put this solution on YOUR website! A sail boat travels 20 miles downstream in 3 hours. I returns in 4 hours. Find the speed of the sailboat in still water and the rate of the current.
I know its 35/6 for speed and 5/6 but how can I check this out?
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20 miles in 3 hours = 20/3 mph
20 miles in 4 hours = 5 mph
The boat speed is the average, = 35/6 mph
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The current speed is the difference, = 35/6 - 5 = 5/6 mph
