A motorboat can maintain a constant speed of 16 miles

Ben Shaver

Ben Shaver

Answered question

2021-12-08

A motorboat can maintain a constant speed of 16 miles per hour relative to the water. The boat makes a trip upstream to a certain point in 20 minutes; the return trip takes 15 minutes. What is the speed of the current?

Answer & Explanation

usumbiix

usumbiix

Beginner2021-12-09Added 33 answers

Step 1
Change 20 min to 13hr
Change 15 min to 14hr
Let c = rate of the current then
(16c)= rate uostream
(16+c)= rate downstream
Assume the trip up and the trip back were the same distance
Write a distance equation dist=time×rate
Dist upstream = dist downstream
14(16+c)=13(16c)
Multiply both sides by 12, to get rid of the denominatros, results:
3(16+c)=4(16c)
48+3c=644c
3c+4c=6448
7c=16
c=167
c=2.2857h is the current
Check solution by finding the distance of each trip (should be equal)
0.25(16+2.2857)=4.57mi
0.333(162.2857)=4.57mi
veiga34

veiga34

Beginner2021-12-10Added 32 answers

Step 1
Let x = speed of the current then
(16x)= speed upstream
(16+x)= speed downstream
Convert 20 min to hrs 2060=13hrs
Convert 15 min to hrs 1560=14hrs
Distance of the two trips is the same; write a dist equation: dist=time×speed
14(16+x)=13(16x)
Multiply both sides 12 to get rid of the denominators:
3(16+x)=4(16x)
48+3x=644x
3x+4x=6448
7x=16
x=167
x2.3mph is the current
Check solution with a calc, confirm that the distances are equal
0.33×13.7=4.5
0.25×18.3=4.5

alenahelenash

alenahelenash

Expert2023-06-10Added 556 answers

Answer:
2.29 miles per hour
Explanation:
When the boat is traveling upstream, its effective speed is reduced by the speed of the current. So the speed relative to the ground is bc.
Given that the boat takes 20 minutes to travel upstream, which is equivalent to 13 hour, we can write the equation:
{Distance}={Speed}×{Time}
Thus, the distance traveled upstream is (bc)×13.
Similarly, when the boat is traveling downstream, its effective speed is increased by the speed of the current. So the speed relative to the ground is b+c.
Given that the boat takes 15 minutes to travel downstream, which is equivalent to 14 hour, we can write the equation:
{Distance}={Speed}×{Time}
Thus, the distance traveled downstream is (b+c)×14.
Since the distance traveled upstream and downstream is the same, we can set up the equation:
(bc)×13=(b+c)×14
To solve this equation, we can cross-multiply:
4(bc)=3(b+c)
Expanding the equation:
4b4c=3b+3c
Simplifying the equation:
b=7c
Therefore, the speed of the boat relative to the water is 7 times the speed of the current.
To find the speed of the current, we can substitute b=16 (since the boat's speed relative to the water is given as 16 miles per hour) into the equation:
16=7c
Solving for c:
c=1672.29{ mph}
Thus, the speed of the current is approximately 2.29 miles per hour.
star233

star233

Skilled2023-06-10Added 403 answers

1. Speed of the boat relative to the water when going upstream:
{Speed}up={Speed}boat{Speed}current=16c
2. Speed of the boat relative to the water when going downstream:
{Speed}down={Speed}boat+{Speed}current=16+c
Now, we know that distance = speed × time. Let's calculate the distances for the upstream and downstream trips.
Distance upstream:
{Distance}up={Speed}up×{Time}up=(16c)×2060=203(16c)
Distance downstream:
{Distance}down={Speed}down×{Time}down=(16+c)×1560=14(16+c)
Since the distance traveled upstream and downstream is the same, we can set the two distances equal to each other:
203(16c)=14(16+c)
To solve for c, we can simplify and solve the equation:
203(16c)=14(16+c)
Multiply both sides of the equation by 12 to eliminate fractions:
80(16c)=3(16+c)
Simplify the equation:
128080c=48+3c
Bring the terms with c to one side:
80c+3c=128048
83c=1232
Finally, solve for c:
c=123283
user_27qwe

user_27qwe

Skilled2023-06-10Added 375 answers

Let's denote the speed of the current by x miles per hour.
When the motorboat is traveling upstream (against the current), its effective speed relative to the ground is reduced by the speed of the current. So, the speed of the boat upstream is (16x) miles per hour.
We are given that the boat takes 20 minutes (or 2060=13 hours) to reach a certain point upstream. We can use the formula distance=speed×time to calculate the distance covered by the boat:
dupstream=(16x)×13
On the return trip downstream (with the current), the effective speed of the boat is increased by the speed of the current. So, the speed of the boat downstream is (16+x) miles per hour.
We are given that the boat takes 15 minutes (or 1560=14 hours) to make the return trip. Again, using the distance formula, we can calculate the distance covered by the boat:
ddownstream=(16+x)×14
Now, since the boat is traveling the same distance in both directions (upstream and downstream) to reach the same point, we can set the two distances equal to each other:
(16x)×13=(16+x)×14
To solve for x, we can cross-multiply and simplify the equation:
4(16x)=3(16+x)
644x=48+3x
7x=16
x=167
Therefore, the speed of the current is 167 miles per hour.

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