Problema Solution

Your traveling to an island that is accessible only by boat. You plan to take the yacht to the island and the steamboat back from the island which means both boats are traveling the same distance. The yacht makes it to the island in 2.5 hours 20 knots faster than the steamboat which made it back from the island in 5.0 hours. How fast did each boat travel?

Answer provided by our tutors

1 knot = 1.15 mph


15 knots = 28.75 mph


v = the speed of the steamboat, v>0


v + 28.75 mph = the speed of the yacht


t1 = 2.5 hr the time of the yacht


t2 = 5.0 hr the time of the steamboat


since distance = speed*time we have:


(v + 28.75)*t1 = v*t2


(v + 28.75)*2.5 = v*5


by solving we find:


v = 28.75 mph


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v + 28.75 = 28.75 + 28.75 = 57.5 mph


the yacht traveled with a speed of 57.5 mph.


the steamboat traveled with a speed of 28.75 mph.