Question

A motorboat travels 204 kilometers in 6 hours going upstream. It travels 372 kilometers going downstream in the same amount of time. What is the rate of the boat in still water and what is the rate of the current?

Answer 1

9514 1404 393

Answer:

• boat: 48 km/h
• current: 14 km/h

Step-by-step explanation:

The upstream speed is ...

  u = (204 km)/(6 h) = 34 km/h

The downstream speed is ...

  d = (372 km)/(6 h) = 62 km/h

The speed of the boat in still water is the average of these values:

  b = (34 kph +62 kph)/2 = 48 kph

The speed of the water is the difference between the boat's speed and the speed made good:

  w = 48 -34 = 14 . . . km/h

The rate of the boat in still water is 48 km/h. The rate of the current is 14 km/h.