Final answer:
To find the speed of the boat and the speed of the stream, we can use the formula: speed of boat = speed of stream + speed of boat in still water. Given the distances covered by the boat downstream and upstream, we can set up two equations and solve for the unknown speeds.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the speed of the boat and the speed of the stream, we can use the formula: speed of boat = speed of stream + speed of boat in still water. Let's assign the speed of the stream as x and the speed of the boat in still water as y.
Given that the boat travels 78km downstream in 3 hours at a rate of 26 km/h (78 km / 3 h) and it travels 88km upstream in 4 hours at a rate of 22 km/h (88 km / 4 h), we can set up the following equations:
(y - x) = 22 (since downstream is the boat speed in still water minus the stream speed) and (y + x) = 26 (since upstream is the boat speed in still water plus the stream speed).
Solving these equations, we find that the speed of the boat in still water is 24 km/h and the speed of the stream is 2 km/h.