Final Answer:
a. The boat's actual speed going upstream is
miles per hour, and its actual speed coming downstream is
miles per hour.
b. No, the time it took the boat to go upstream was not the same as the time it took to come downstream.
c. The reason it took longer to travel upstream than downstream is the opposition of the river current, which adds to the effective speed when going downstream but subtracts from the effective speed when going upstream.
d.
hours.
e.

f.

g.

h. Combining the equations,
.
i. Simplifying and rearranging the equation in part h, we get the quadratic equation
and solving it yields

Step-by-step explanation:
a. The boat's actual speed going upstream is
miles per hour, and its actual speed coming downstream is
miles per hour. This is determined by considering the effect of the river current, which either opposes or aids the boat's speed.
b. The time it took the boat to go upstream was not the same as the time it took to come downstream. The opposition or assistance of the river current creates different effective speeds, leading to unequal travel times.
c. The longer time taken to travel upstream is a result of the opposition of the river current. When going against the current, the boat faces a stronger effective current speed, causing the upstream journey to take more time than the downstream journey.
d. The total time equation is
representing the sum of the time taken to go upstream
and downstream

e. The equation
relates distance, velocity, and time. Rearranging it,
represent the times taken for upstream and downstream trips.
f. Combining the equations for
gives the equation
Simplifying and rearranging, we get the quadratic equation

g. Solving the quadratic equation
yields two solutions:
However, since speed cannot be negative,
is the valid solution.