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| Math Central | Quandaries & Queries |
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Question from Gwen, a student: The time of a plane trip of 450 miles, with the wind is 3/5 the time of the return trip against the wind. If the plane travels 120 mph in still air, what is the wind speed? |
Hi Gwen,
Suppose the wind speed is $w$ mph. The plane travels at 120 mph in still air. At what speed does it travel with the wind? What speed does it travel against the wind?
The plane travels 450 mile with the wind. How long does it take?
The plane travels 450 mile against the wind. How long does it take?
The first of these times is 3/5 times the second. Solver for $w.$
Penny
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