102k views
1 vote
A boat travels 30 miles upstream in 5 hours. The return trip downstream takes 3 hours. If the boat travels at the same rate on both parts of the trip, what is the rate of the current, in miles per hour?

User Bugmagnet
by
7.9k points

1 Answer

3 votes
5(v-s)=30 and 3(v+s)=30

5v-5s=30

v-s=6

v=6+s now use this v in the second equation from the beginning...

3(6+s+s)=30

6+2s=10

2s=4

s=2 and since v-s=6, v=6+s=8

So the rate of the boat is 8mph and the rate of the current is 2mph
User Chemamolins
by
8.1k points
Welcome to QAmmunity.org, where you can ask questions and receive answers from other members of our community.