Final answer:
To determine the speed of two Mississippi steamboats, we use algebra to set up and solve a system of equations. The slower boat travels at 6 miles per hour, and the faster boat travels at 15 miles per hour.
Step-by-step explanation:
To solve the problem of finding the speed of two Mississippi steamboats, we can set up a system of linear equations. The boats are 126 miles apart and travel towards each other until they pass at 6:00 p.m. This means they've been traveling for 6 hours. Let's define the speed of the slower boat as x miles per hour and the faster boat as x+9 miles per hour.
Since distance equals speed multiplied by time, the distance covered by the slower boat can be represented by 6x and by the faster boat as 6(x+9). The sum of these distances will be equal to 126 miles, the initial distance between the two boats.
Set up the equation: 6x + 6(x + 9) = 126.
Simplify the equation: 12x + 54 = 126.
Solve for x: x = 72 / 12 = 6 miles per hour.
Calculate the speed of the faster boat: x + 9 = 6 + 9 = 15 miles per hour.
Therefore, the speed of the slower steamboat is 6 miles per hour, and the speed of the faster steamboat is 15 miles per hour.