SOLUTION: a tugboat pushing a barge up the Ohio River takes 1 hour longer to travel 36 miles up the river than to travel the same distance down the river. If the rate of current is 3 mph, f

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Question 38339: a tugboat pushing a barge up the Ohio River takes 1 hour longer to travel 36 miles up the river than to travel the same distance down the river. If the rate of current is 3 mph, find the speed of the tugboat and barge in still water
Answer by Paul(988) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Letting x be the speed:
EQUATION:
36%2F%28x-3%29-36%2F%28x%2B3%29=1
36[(x+3)-(x-3)]=(x+3)(x-3)
36%286%29=x%5E2-9
216=x%5E2-9
x%5E2=225
x=15
Hence, the speed of the boat is 15mph.
Paul.