Question

The Jones family took a 16 mile canoe ride down the Indian River in two hours. After lunch, the return trip back up the river took four hours. Find the rate,
in mph, of the canoe in still water and the rate of the current.
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Answer 1

9514 1404 393

Answer:

• canoe 6 mph
• current 2 mph

Step-by-step explanation:

The speed downriver was (16 mi)/(2 h) = 8 mph. The speed upriver was (16 mi)/(4 h) = 4 mph. The canoe's speed in still water is the average of these speeds: (8+4)/2 = 6 miles per hour.

The current's speed is the difference between the actual speed and the canoe's speed: 8 -6 = 2 miles per hour.

The speed of the canoe in still water is 6 mph; the rate of the current is 2 mph.