Answer:
15 mph
Step-by-step explanation:
Given: Boat took 2 hours to reach Town A going upstream.
Speed of stream= 3 mph
Time taken to reach back home= 1 hours 20 minutes
Lets assume distance covered one side be "d" and speed of boat in still water be "s".
∴ Speed of boat in upstream= ![(s-3) \ mph](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=%28s-3%29%20%5C%20mph)
Speed of boat in downstream= ![(s+3)\ mph](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=%28s%2B3%29%5C%20mph)
Also converting into fraction of time taken to reach back home.
Remember; 1 hour= 60 minutes
∴ Time taken to reach back home= ![60+20= 80\ minutes](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=60%2B20%3D%2080%5C%20minutes)
Converting time given into fraction= ![\frac{80\ minutes}{60\ minutes} = \frac{4}{3} \ hours](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=%5Cfrac%7B80%5C%20minutes%7D%7B60%5C%20minutes%7D%20%3D%20%5Cfrac%7B4%7D%7B3%7D%20%5C%20hours)
hence, Time taken to reach back home is ![\frac{4}{3} \ hours](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=%5Cfrac%7B4%7D%7B3%7D%20%5C%20hours)
Now forming equation of boat travelling upstream and downstream, considering distance remain constant.
We know, ![Distance= speed \times time](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=Distance%3D%20speed%20%5Ctimes%20%20time)
⇒ ![(s-3)\times 2= (s+3)\times \frac{4}{3}](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=%28s-3%29%5Ctimes%202%3D%20%28s%2B3%29%5Ctimes%20%5Cfrac%7B4%7D%7B3%7D)
Using distributive property of multiplication
⇒![2s-6= \frac{4}{3}s +4](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=2s-6%3D%20%5Cfrac%7B4%7D%7B3%7Ds%20%2B4)
subtracting both side by ![\frac{4}{3} s](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=%5Cfrac%7B4%7D%7B3%7D%20s)
⇒![2s-\frac{4}{3} s-6= 4](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=2s-%5Cfrac%7B4%7D%7B3%7D%20s-6%3D%204)
Adding both side by 6
⇒ ![2s-\frac{4}{3} s= 10](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=2s-%5Cfrac%7B4%7D%7B3%7D%20s%3D%2010)
taking LCD as 3
⇒ ![\frac{2}{3} s= 10](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=%5Cfrac%7B2%7D%7B3%7D%20s%3D%2010)
Multiplying both side by ![\frac{3}{2}](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=%5Cfrac%7B3%7D%7B2%7D)
⇒![s= \frac{3}{2} \times 10](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=s%3D%20%5Cfrac%7B3%7D%7B2%7D%20%5Ctimes%2010)
∴s= 15 mph
Hence, 15 mph is the speed of the boat in still water.