Problema Solution
A boat travels 1 km upstream and 1 km back. The time for the round trip is 5 hrs. The speed of the stream is 5km/hr. What is the speed of the boat in still water?
Answer provided by our tutors
let
v = the speed of the boat in still water
t1 = the time of the downstream travel
t2 = the time of the upstream travel
s = 5 km/h the speed of the stream
d = 1 km the distance traveled in one direction
we will use the formula distance = speed*time (since speed = distance/time)
the time for the round trip is 5 hrs
t1 + t2 = 5 => t2 = 5 - t1
the speed of the boat downstream is v + s = v + 5
t1(v + s) = d
t1(v + 5) = 1 = > t1 = 1/(v + 5)
the speed of the boat upstream is v - s = v - 5
t2(v - s) = d
t2(v - 5) = 1
plug t2 = 5 - t1 into the last equation
(5 - t1)(v - 5) = 1
next plug t1 = 1/(v + 5) into (5 - t1)(v - 5) = 1 we have
(5 - 1/(v + 5))(v - 5) = 1
by solving this equation we find and consider the positive roots since v>0
v = 5.20 km/h
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the speed of the boat in still water is 5.20 km/h.