Question

A pilot can travel 580 miles with the wind in the same amount of time as 380 miles against the wind. Find the speed of the wind if the pilot's speed in still air is 240 miles per hour. The speed of the wind is ___ miles per hour.

Answer 1

To find the speed of the wind, we can use the formula for time and set up an equation to solve for the speed of the wind. Solving the equation gives us a speed of approximately 49.4118 mph.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the speed of the wind, we can use the formula for time: Time = Distance / Speed. Let's assume the speed of the wind is w mph. If the pilot is traveling with the wind, their effective speed would be 240 + w mph. If they are traveling against the wind, their effective speed would be 240 - w mph. We can set up the following equation to solve for w:

(580) / (240 + w) = (380) / (240 - w)

Cross-multiplying and simplifying gives us:

580 * (240 - w) = 380 * (240 + w)

Solving for w, we get:

w = 49.4118 mph

Therefore, the speed of the wind is approximately 49.4118 mph.