Question

A steamer goes down stream and covers the distance between two ports in 4 hours while it covers the same distance up stream in 5 hours. If the speed of the steamer upstream is 2 km/hour, find the speed of steamer in still water.

Answer 1

Let the speed of the steamer in still water be x km/h.

Then the speed of the stream will be x − 2 km/h.

$4(x+x-2)=5\times 2$

$\Rightarrow 4(2x-2)=10$

$\Rightarrow 8(x-1)=10$

$\Rightarrow x-1=\frac{10}{8}$

$\Rightarrow x-1=\frac{5}{4}$

$\Rightarrow x=\frac{5}{4}+1$

$\Rightarrow x=\frac{9}{4}$

$\Rightarrow x=2.25$

he speed of the steamer in still water be $2.25$ km/h.