A sailboat travels 20 miles downstream in 3 hours It returns
A sailboat travels 20 miles downstream in 3 hours. It returns in 4 hours. Find the speed of the sailboat in still water and the rate of the current.
 Help, no idea.
 Thanks.
Solution
Downstream DATA:
 distance = 20 miles; time = 3 hrs. ;rate = d/t = 20/3 mph
 ---------------------------------------
 Upstream DATA:
 distance = 20 miles; time = 4 hrs. ;rate = d/t = 20/4 = 5 mph
 -----------------------------------------
 Let still water speed be \"b\"; Let current speed be \"c\"
 Downstream: b + c = 20/3 mph
 Upstream : b - c = 5
 ----------------------
 2b = 35/3
 b = 35/6 = 5 4/6 mph (boat speed in still water)
 -------
 Use b -c = 5 to solve for \"c\".
 35/6 - c = 30/6
 c = 5/6 mph (current speed)

