Systems of Equations word problem help

onltmeread

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Apr 9, 2007
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A motorboat can go 8 miles downstream on a river in 20 minutes. It takes 30 minutes for this boat to go back upstream the same 8 miles. Find the speed of the current.

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i know the answer is 4mi/h but i don't know how you get that ......
i just need help overall. i'm not even sure about what equations to put. for the system....
 
REMEMBER THIS: speed = distance / time

m = motorboat speed, r = river speed (speed of current)

downstream: m + r = 8 / (1/3)
upstream: m - r = 8 / (1/2)

If you can't solve that, you need your teacher...
 
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