Pratap Puri rowed 14 miles down a river in 2 hours, but the return trip took him 3 and one half hours. Find the rate Pratap can row in still water and find the rate of the current. Let x equals rate Pratap can row in still water and y equals rate of the current. What is the rate that Pratap rows in still water?
let the rate in still water be x and rate of the current be y. speed down the river is: speed=distance/time speed=14/2=7 mi/h
speed up the river is: speed=(14)/(3.5)=4 mi/hr thus total speed downstream and upstream will be: x+y=7...i x-y=4.......ii adding the above equations i and ii we get: 2x=11 x=5.5 mi/hr thus y=5-5.5=1.5 mi/r thus the speed in still waters is 5.5 mi/hr speed of current is 1.5 mi/hr
