Problema Solution
Against the wind a commercial airline in south america flew 630 miles in 3.5 hours. With tailwindthe return trip took 3 hours. What was the speed of the plane in still air? What was the speed of the wind?
Answer provided by our tutors
let
d = 630 mi the distance traveled
t1 = 3.5 hr the trip against the wind
t2 = 3 hr the trip with tailwind
w = the speed of the wind
v = the speed of the plane in still air
since speed = distance/time follows distance = speed*time
traveling with against the seed of the plane is: v - w
(v - w)3.5 = 630
traveling with the wind the seed of the plane is: v + w
(v + w)3 = 630
by solving the system of equations
(v - w)3.5 = 630
(v + w)3 = 630
we find:
v = 195 mph
w = 15 mph
click here to see the step by step solution of the system of equations:
the speed of the plane in still air is 195 mph.
the speed of the wind is 15 mph.