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A jet travels 4634 miles against the wind in 7 hours and 5334 miles with the wind in the same amount of time. What is the rate of the jet in still air and what isthe rate of the wind

A jet travels 4634 miles against the wind in 7 hours and 5334 miles with the wind-example-1
User Setrofim
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1 Answer

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9 votes

Given:

a.) A jet travels 4,634 miles against the wind in 7 hours.

b.) It also travels 5,334 miles with the wind in the same amount of time.

Distance = Rate x Time

Let,

J = rate of jet in still air

W = rate of wind

Then the jet travels at (J - W) against the wind and (J + W) with the wind so,

4,634 = (J - W) x 7

4,634 = 7J - 7W (against the wind)

5,334 = (J + W) x 7

5,334 = 7J + 7W (with the wind)

Add these equations together to conveniently cancel the W's to get,

Total Distance = Total Travel Time x Rate of Jet in still air

4,634 + 5,334 = 14 x J

9,968 = 14J

14J/14 = 9,968/14

J = 712

Plug this value for J into the 1st equation and solve for W,

4,634 = 7J - 7W

4,634 = 7(712) - 7W

4634 = 4984 - 7W

-7W = 4634 - 4984

-7W = -350

-7W/-7 = -350/-7

W = 50

So the rate of the jet in still air is 712 mph and the rate of the wind is 50 mph.

User Peter Bushnell
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