A boat takes a long trip traveling 140 miles downstream in 7 hours. The return trip upstream takes 10 hours. Let b be the rate of the boat in still water in miles per hour and let c be the rate of the current in miles per hour. When the boat is traveling downstream it is moving miles per hour.

Question

A boat takes a long trip traveling 140 miles downstream in 7 hours. The return trip upstream takes 10 hours. Let b be the rate of the boat in still water in miles per hour and let c be the rate of the current in miles per hour. When the boat is traveling downstream it is moving  miles per hour.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The statement "When the boat is traveling downstream it is moving 11ec19db_84c6_b55a_9dbe_07b253640200_TBX8673_11 miles per hour" is not true. There is no specific given speed when traveling downstream, it depends on both the rate of the boat in still water (b) and the rate of the current (c). The correct formula to calculate the speed when traveling downstream is b + c.

A Boat Takes a Long Trip Traveling 140 Miles Downstream