A boat running upstream takes 8 hours 48 min to cover a certain distance while it takes 4 hours to cover the same distance running downstream. What is the ratio between the speed of the boat and the speed of water current respectively?
Correct answer: C. 8 : 3
- A. 2 : 1
- B. 3 : 1
- C. 8 : 3
- D. Cannot be determined
Explanation
For distance D, downstream speed is D ÷ 4 hr = D/4, while upstream speed is D ÷ 8.8 hr = 5D/44. Thus boat speed = [(D/4) + (5D/44)] ÷ 2 = 2D/11, and current speed = [(D/4) - (5D/44)] ÷ 2 = 3D/44, giving 8:3. The common error is reversing the requested ratio or using the two effective speeds directly.
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About Time, Speed and Distance
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