A plane travels from Orlando to Denver and back again. On the five-hour trip from Orlando to Denver, the plane has a tailwind of 40 miles per hour. On the return trip from Denver to Orlando, the plane faces a headwind of 40 miles per hour. This trip takes six hours. What is the speed of the airplane in still air? (2 points)

Question

radar · Answer

Let x = aircraft speed in still air.
x+40 = aircraft speed with 40 MPH tail wind.
x-40 = aircraft speed with 40 MPH headwind.
D= distance Denver to Orlando
D = 5(x+40)
D = 6(x-40)     D=D
5x + 200 = 6x-240
x=200+240= 440 mph in still wind. (2 points)