Question

A motorboat travels 441 kilometers in 9 hours going upstream and 388 kilometers in 4 hours going downstream. What is the rate of the boat in still water and what is the rate of the current?

Answer 1

The rate of the boat in still water is 73 km per hour, and the speed of the current is 24 km per hour.

Explanation:

Given that a motorboat travels 441 kilometers in 9 hours going upstream and 388 kilometers in 4 hours going downstream, to determine what is the rate of the boat in still water and what is the rate of the current, the following calculation must be performed:

Upstream = 441/9 = 49 km per hour

Downstream = 388/4 = 97 km per hour

(97 + 49) / 2 = X

146/2 = X

73 = X

97-73 = 24

49-74 = -24

Therefore, the rate of the boat in still water is 73 km per hour, and the speed of the current is 24 km per hour.