PLEASE HELP! A plane took 5 hours to get from Omaha to San Francisco with a tailwind of 28 mph. It took 6 hours to make the return trip with a headwind of the same speed, 28 mph. How fast was the plane traveling in still air?

Question

anonymous · Answer

1680miles

anonymous · Answer

how did you calculate that? are you sure?? Thanks!!!

anonymous · Answer

@satellite73 ?? do you know how to solve this??

anonymous · Answer

yes

anonymous · Answer

and 1680 i think is too far

anonymous · Answer

i set up (5p+28)=6(p-28)..

anonymous · Answer

*5(p+28)

anonymous · Answer

close, i think it should be 
$$5(p+28)=6(p-28)$$

anonymous · Answer

if you call "p" the rate

anonymous · Answer

yeah what you said at first

anonymous · Answer

second

anonymous · Answer

Yeah but then when you simplify it's 28 and thats not an answer..

anonymous · Answer

oh i could be wrong, i jumped the gun
maybe 1680 is the right answer

anonymous · Answer

but how do you get that?!?!?!

anonymous · Answer

lets solve 
$$5(x+28)=6(x-28)$$
$$5x+140=6x-168$$
$$140=x-168$$
$$x=308$$ so the rate is 308 miles per hour, but that is not the distance, that is the rate

anonymous · Answer

to find the distance replace the rate of 308 in either expression
for example 
$$5(308+28)=5\times 336=1680$$ as stated above

anonymous · Answer

THANK YOU!! but that is the rate in still air as well?

anonymous · Answer

@Anyssah  was right , i jumped the gun

anonymous · Answer

the rate in still air is 308 mph, yes. the distance is therefore 1680

anonymous · Answer

Its not asking for the distance thought, its the rate it traveled in still air.

anonymous · Answer

ok, then 308 mph is the right answer to that question

anonymous · Answer

Thank you guys :)