Question

Ben paddles his kayak 8 miles upstream in 4 hours. He turns around and paddles downstream to his starting point in 2 hours. What is the rate at which Ben paddles in still water?

Answer 1

Ben's rate of paddling in still water is 3 miles per hour.

Step-by-step explanation:

In order to find the rate at which Ben paddles in still water, we need to calculate his speed in each direction (upstream and downstream) and then find the average of the two speeds.

To calculate his speed upstream, we use the formula speed = distance / time. Since he paddles 8 miles upstream in 4 hours, his speed upstream is 8 miles / 4 hours = 2 miles per hour.

To calculate his speed downstream, we use the same formula. He paddles from his starting point to the end point (8 miles) downstream in 2 hours, so his speed downstream is 8 miles / 2 hours = 4 miles per hour.

To find the average speed, we add the two speeds and divide by 2. So the average speed is (2 miles per hour + 4 miles per hour) / 2 = 3 miles per hour.