SOLUTION: An airplane can travel 330 mph in still air. If it travels 2880 miles with the wind in the same length of time it travels 2400 miles against the wind, what is the speed of the wind

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Question 989533: An airplane can travel 330 mph in still air. If it travels 2880 miles with the wind in the same length of time it travels 2400 miles against the wind, what is the speed of the wind?
Found 2 solutions by josgarithmetic, MathTherapy:
Answer by josgarithmetic(39618) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!

WITH r+w t 2880 AGAINST r-w t 2400

Sum the corresponding members to eliminate the term tw.

Not finished here yet, but,.... maybe you will?

BEST APPROACH IS HERE***********************************************
Note that there is also the two equivalent times.

and then

You were given r=330, so solve the last equation for w in terms of r, and then use the given r value to evaluate w.
OR,

Can you work with what is done and shown and solve?

Answer by MathTherapy(10552) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!

An airplane can travel 330 mph in still air. If it travels 2880 miles with the wind in the same length of time it travels 2400 miles against the wind, what is the speed of the wind?

Let speed of wind be S
With the wind, the plane is going at a speed of: 330 + W
Against the wind, the plane is going at a speed of: 330 - W
We then get the following TIME equation:
2,880(330 - W) = 2,400(330 + W) ------- Cross-multiplying
950,400 - 2,880W = 792,000 + 2,400W
- 2,880W - 2,400W = 792,000 - 950,400
- 5,280W = - 158,400
W, or speed of wind = , or mph