Question

A tugboat goes 180 miles upstream in 15 hours. The return trip downstream takes 5 hours. Find the speed of the tugboat without a current and the speed of the current. The speed of the tugboat is ?mph, and the speed of the current is ? mph. Simplify your answers

Answer 1

36 and 24?

Answer 2

Hint use

r = speed of boat
w = speed of water

d = (r - w)t for upstream
d = (r + w)t for downstream

Since we know the distance is 180 miles and we know it takes 15 hours upstream and 5 hours downstream then set up the following equation:

180 = 15(r - w)
180 = 5(r + w)

Afterwards, that will give you a system of two equations, which you will be able to solve for r and w.

Answer 3

is it 36 and 24?

Answer 4

For some reason I get something different.

Answer 5

You are prob right. Im not sure of my answer

Answer 6

Show your steps.

Answer 7

I think it is 36 and 12

Answer 8

Is taht what you got hero?

Answer 9

@Zeph, show your steps.

Answer 10

Don't just post answers without explaining yourself.

Answer 11

I divided 180 by 15mph. gave me 12. so it was going 12 mph upstream. Then i divided 180 by 5 and came up with 36 so i subtracted 12 from that and got my answer

Answer 12

For the first equation I divided 180 by 15 to get 12. The second equation I divided 180 by 5 and got 36.

Answer 13

Strange. That is not consistent with the equations I posted above.

Answer 14

To be honest your equations confused me more

Answer 15

You're familiar with d = rt right?

Answer 16

distance and round trip?

Answer 17

rate and time

Answer 18

distance rate and time

Answer 19

distance = rate times time

C'mon, you have to know that. It's a basic equation.

Answer 20

Im just flusterd sorry

Answer 21

Okay, so if we add the upstream and downstream part to it you get the equations I wrote above.

Answer 22

- w = upstream or against the current
+ w = downstream or with the current

Answer 23

okay

Answer 24

15 hours at 12 mph

Answer 25

36 mph downstream

Answer 26

Solving for upstream and downstream:

180 = 15(r - w)
180 = 5(r + w)

180/15 = r - w
180/5 = r + w

12 = r - w
36 = r + w

Add the above to get

48 = 2r

48/2 = r

24 = r

Answer 27

r = speed of the boat

Answer 28

Now using one of the equations above, solve for w:

36 = r + w
36 = 24 + w
36 - 24 = w
12 = w

Answer 29

So I get:

24mph for the speed of the boat
12mph for the speed of the water

Answer 30

so where did i screw up?

Answer 31

By believing that you can solve it by simply dividing 180/15 and 180/5

Answer 32

ahhhhhhh good point