SOLUTION: Please help with this question. I really need help!!! a tourist rents a beach cruiser to bike along a flat stretch of beach. Biking with the wind it takes 9 minutes to travel 2 mi

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Question 779602: Please help with this question. I really need help!!!
a tourist rents a beach cruiser to bike along a flat stretch of beach. Biking with the wind it takes 9 minutes to travel 2 miles. Biking against the wind, the return trip takes 24 minutes. if there was no wind, how fast was the cyclist biking?

Answer by mananth(16946) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Convert minutes to hours

beach cruiser speed =x mph
wind speed =y mph
against wind 0.4 hours
with wind 0.15 hours

Distance against 2 miles distance with 2 miles
t=d/r against wind -
2.00 / ( x - y )= 0.40
0.40 ( x - y ) = 0.15
0.40 x - 0.40 y = 2.00 ....................1

2.00 / ( x + y )= 0.15
0.15 ( x + y ) = 2.00
0.15 x + 0.15 y = 2.00 ...............2
Multiply (1) by 0.15
Multiply (2) by 0.40
we get
0.06 x + -0.06 y = 0.30
0.06 x + 0.06 y = 0.80
0.12 x = 1.10
/ 0.12
x = 9.17 mph

plug value of x in (1) y
0.40 x -0.40 y = 2.00
3.67 -0.40 -3.67 = 2.00
-0.40 y = 2.00
-0.40 y = -1.67 mph
y = 4.17
beach cruiser speed 9.17 mph
wind speed 4.17 mph

m.ananth@hotmail.ca