I’m having trouble finding the equation for this question please help !

Tobilou

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It is 6 miles in a kayak to the Fish Islands from my house. The trip to the island takes 2 hours traveling against the current and 1¼ hours for the return trip (with the current). How fast can I paddle the kayak if there was no current?
 
The way we work here is that you show us what your have done and where and why you are stuck.

What are your variables and what symbol have you given to each?
 
Hi Tobilou. Where are you stuck? This is a "distance equals rate×time" problem that may be solved by writing a system of two equations.

The paddling rate when moving with the current is increased by the current, and it's decreased by the current when moving against the water.

Here's an example video using an airplane moving with and against wind speed. The solution process is the same. Please share your work or ask a specific question about the exercise.

:)

[imath]\;[/imath]
 
If you would have watched the video that Otis gave you and done some research you would have come out with something like this.
hint from Otis: 'This is a "distance equals rate×time" problem that may be solved by writing a system of two equations'.
so you are dealing with a system of equations, which means you are going to have at least two equations to solve. two unknowns

Organize your data .
What do you have/ what is the great FIND?
You have this:

(velocity of kayak - velocity of river) times 2 hours it takes to paddle over =6 miles (distance)

(velocity of kayak + velocity of river) times 1.25 (one hour twenty five minutes with down current)= 6

can you set up the system of equations and solve it?
 
If you would have watched the video that Otis gave you and done some research you would have come out with something like this.
hint from Otis: 'This is a "distance equals rate×time" problem that may be solved by writing a system of two equations'.
so you are dealing with a system of equations, which means you are going to have at least two equations to solve. two unknowns

Organize your data .
What do you have/ what is the great FIND?
You have this:

(velocity of kayak - velocity of river) times 2 hours it takes to paddle over =6 miles (distance)

(velocity of kayak + velocity of river) times 1.25 (one hour twenty five minutes with down current)= 6

can you set up the system of equations and solve it?
nice bit of analysis eddy
 
1.25 hours is not 1 hour and 25 minutes.
Then if it is not that then it is 60 minutes + 25 minutes, right?.

Hi Tobilou. Where are you stuck? This is a "distance equals rate×time" problem that may be solved by writing a system of two equations.

The paddling rate when moving with the current is increased by the current, and it's decreased by the current when moving against the water.

Here's an example video using an airplane moving with and against wind speed. The solution process is the same. Please share your work or ask a specific question about the exercise.

:)

[imath]\;[/imath]
I loved the video. Thanks for posting it.

nice bit of analysis eddy
Learned it here with you all!.
 
What is .25 of an hour, in minutes?
15 minutes. You're right.

But
[math]( vk -vr) * 2 = 6[/math][math](vk +vr) * 2=1.25[/math]I understood by the data given that it was 1 hour and a quarter of an hour.
Isn't a quarter of an hour 25 minutes?.
 
But
[math]( vk -vr) * 2 = 6[/math][math](vk +vr) * 2=1.25[/math]I understood by the data given that it was 1 hour and a quarter of an hour.
Isn't a quarter of an hour 25 minutes?.
Why do you say a quarter of an hour is 25 minutes? You said 15 minutes in post 10.
 
Why do you say a quarter of an hour is 25 minutes? You said 15 minutes in post 10.
Yes, i know, but the problem is confusing in its data. they wrte 1 hours and 25. anyone could have understood that to mean 60 minutes and 25 minutes, that is 1 full hour and 25 minutes.
at a closer look THEN i see the decimal point so I knew what you meant then.
 
If 1/4 hour is 25 minutes, then BASED on this how many minutes are there is an hour?
 
No, it is 15 not 25, Steve. I got confused somehow. Thank you for bringing it up.Bbb did also pointed it out.
I thought the problem meant 1 hours 25 minutes. Somehow I got the 1/4 for 25 minutes. Mistake!.
 
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