Question

A motorboat takes 40 minutes to travel 20 miles downstream. The return trip takes 60 minutes. What is the speed of the current?

Answer 1

The answer is 5 mph and hope it helps

Answer 2

The current is 5 mph

Explanation:

The current helps the boat going down stream and hinders going up so it adds to the speed downstream and subtracts going up.

speed downstream is 20miles/40minutes =1 mi per 2 min. Or 30 mph

Speed upstream is

20 miles/ 60 minutes = 1 mile per 3minutes or 20 mph

So if the speed of the boat is the same (s) then downstream the boat travels

S+c =30 mph and s-c =20mph upstream if c is tge current speed

So s=30-c and s=20+c

So. 30-C=20+c

10=2C

5=C

The current is 5 mph