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| Question 701475:  Hello, I need help with a question.  I have tried but I couldn't get it.
 "A light plane flew from its home base to an airport 255 miles away. With a head wind, the trip took 1.7 hours. The return trip with a tail wind took 1.5 hours. Find the average airspeed of the plane and the average windspeed"
 Answer by stanbon(75887)
      (Show Source): 
You can put this solution on YOUR website! A light plane flew from its home base to an airport 255 miles away. With a head wind, the trip took 1.7 hours. The return trip with a tail wind took 1.5 hours. Find the average airspeed of the plane and the average windspeed ----
 Base to an airport DATA:
 dist = 255 miles ; time = 1.7 hrs ; rate = d/t = 255/1.7 mph
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 Airport to base DATA:
 dist = 255 miles ; time = 1.5 hrs ; rate = d/t = 255/1.5 mph
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 Let p = plane speed and w = wind speed
 Equations:
 p + w = 255/1.5 mph
 p - w = 255/1.7 mph
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 Add and solve for "p":
 2p = [255/1.5 + 255/1.7]
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 p = (127.5/1.5 + 127/1.7]
 p = 160 (plane's speed in still air)
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 Solve for "w":
 p - w = 255/1.7
 160 - w = 255/1.7
 w = 160-(255/1.7)
 w = 10 mph (speed of the wind)
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 Cheers,
 Stan H.
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