Problema Solution
The current of the Mississippi River is 3mph. if a barge can go upstream in the same time it takes to go 10 miles downstream, find the speed of the barge.
Answer provided by our tutors
let
v = the speed of the barge in still water
c = 3 mph the current of the river
d = the distance traveled upstream
10 miles the distance traveled downstream
t = the time of the travel downstream
the speed upstream is: v - c = v - 3
the speed downstream is: v + c = v + 3
since speed = distance/time => time = distance/speed
the time of the traveling upstream = the time of the traveling downstream
d/(v - 3) = 10/(v + 3)
by solving the equation for v we find
v = 3*(- d - 10)/ (d - 10)
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