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A plane traveled 240 miles. The trip was with the wind. It took 3 hours. The trip back was into the wind. The trip back took 6 hours. Find the speed of the plane in still air and the speed of the wind.

User Aerik
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1 Answer

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Answer: speed of plane is 60/miles per hour

Speed of wind is 20 miles per hour

Explanation:

Let x represent the speed of the plane.

Let y represent the speed of the wind.

A plane traveled 240 miles. The trip was with the wind. It took 3 hours.

This means that the speed is x+y miles/hour. Therefore

240 = 3(x+y)

240 = 3x + 3y - - - - - - - - 1

The trip back was into the wind.

The trip back took 6 hours.

Since it flew against the wind, the speed would be x-y km/hour

Distance = speed × time. Therefore

240 = 6(x - y )

240 = 6x - 6y

Dividing through by 2

120 = 3x - 3y- - - - - - - - - 2

Adding equation 1 and equation 2, it becomes

360 = 6x

x = 360/6 = 60

Substituting x = 60 into

240 = 6(x - y )

x - y = 240/6 = 40

y = 60 - 40 = 20

User Theamoeba
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