Question

The Murillo family took a 12-mile boat ride down the Snake River in 2 hours. The return trip back up the river took 3 hours. Find the rate of the boat in still water and the rate of the current.

Answer 1

The rate of the boat in still water is 5 mph and the rate of the current is 1 mph.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the rate of the boat in still water, we can use the formula:
Boat's rate in still water = (downstream rate + upstream rate) / 2
Given that the total distance of the boat ride is 12 miles and it took 2 hours downstream and 3 hours upstream, we can calculate the rates:
Downstream rate = distance / time = 12 miles / 2 hours = 6 miles per hour
Upstream rate = distance / time = 12 miles / 3 hours = 4 miles per hour
Using the formula, the boat's rate in still water is:
Boat's rate in still water = (6 mph + 4 mph) / 2 = 5 mph

To find the rate of the current, we can use the formula:
Rate of current = (downstream rate - boat's rate in still water)
Given that the downstream rate is 6 mph and the boat's rate in still water is 5 mph, we can calculate the rate of the current:
Rate of current = 6 mph - 5 mph = 1 mph

Therefore, the rate of the boat in still water is 5 mph and the rate of the current is 1 mph.