A motorboat can travel at 14 miles per hour in still water T

A motorboat can travel at 14 miles per hour in still water. The boat travels 24 miles upriver and runs out of gas, gloating back to its starting point 14 hours after leaving it. find speed of current. Use algebra with an appropriate equation...

Solution

time = distance / rate

[24 / (14 - c)] + (24 / c) = 14

multiplying by c(14 - c) ___ 24c + 336 - 24c = 196c - 14 c^2

dividing by 14 ___ c^2 - 14c + 24 = 0

(c - 12) (c - 2) = 0

c = 12 OR c = 2

2 probably makes more sense...