SOLUTION: A canoe took 3 hours to travel up stream and 2 hours to travel the same distance down stream. If the distance was 12 miles each way, what was the speed of the current?

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Question 936377: A canoe took 3 hours to travel up stream and 2 hours to travel the same distance down stream. If the distance was 12 miles each way, what was the speed of the current?
Found 2 solutions by mananth, josgarithmetic:
Answer by mananth(16946) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
A canoe took 3 hours to travel up stream and 2 hours to travel the same distance down stream. If the distance was 12 miles each way, what was the speed of the current?

let speed of canoe in still water be x mph
speed of current be y mph
upstream speed = (x-y) mph
down stream speed = (x+y) mph
t=d/r
time upstream = 12/(x-y) = 3
3x-3y=12
x-y =4....................(1)
time downstream = 12/(x+y) =2
2x+2y=12
x+y=6.........................(2)
solve (1) & (2)
2x=10
/2
x=5 mph
x-y=4
therefore y =1 mph rate of current

Answer by josgarithmetic(39620) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
RT=D rate, time, distance, basic rule for uniform rates.

__________________rate___________time____________distance
UP________________r-c____________3________________12
BACK______________r+c____________2________________12

UP for upsteam; BACK for downstream.