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Question

A motorboat moves along a straight line path along a river bank from point A to point B. If the speed of the boat in still water is doubled, then the trip from A to B and back again would take 20% of the time that the motorboat usually takes for the journey. By how many times is the actual speed of the motorboat higher than the speed of the river flow?

The correct answer is

\(\sqrt{\frac{3}{2}}\)

Motorboat Speed Ratio Calculation

This problem involves calculating the ratio between a motorboat's speed in still water and the river's flow speed, based on changes in travel time.

Let \( v_b \) be the speed of the motorboat in still water, and \( v_s \) be the speed of the river flow. Let \( d \) be the distance between points A and B.

Original Journey Time Calculation

The total time \( T \) for a round trip (A to B and back to A) depends on speeds downstream and upstream.

  • Speed downstream (with the current): \( v_b + v_s \)
  • Speed upstream (against the current): \( v_b - v_s \)
  • Time downstream: \( t_{down} = \frac{d}{v_b + v_s} \)
  • Time upstream: \( t_{up} = \frac{d}{v_b - v_s} \)
  • Total original time: \( T = t_{down} + t_{up} = \frac{d}{v_b + v_s} + \frac{d}{v_b - v_s} \)
  • Combine terms: \( T = d \frac{(v_b - v_s) + (v_b + v_s)}{(v_b + v_s)(v_b - v_s)} = d \frac{2v_b}{v_b^2 - v_s^2} \)

Modified Journey Time Calculation

The motorboat's speed in still water is doubled to \( 2v_b \).

  • New speed downstream: \( 2v_b + v_s \)
  • New speed upstream: \( 2v_b - v_s \)
  • New time downstream: \( t_{down, new} = \frac{d}{2v_b + v_s} \)
  • New time upstream: \( t_{up, new} = \frac{d}{2v_b - v_s} \)
  • Total new time: \( T_{new} = t_{down, new} + t_{up, new} = \frac{d}{2v_b + v_s} + \frac{d}{2v_b - v_s} \)
  • Combine terms: \( T_{new} = d \frac{(2v_b - v_s) + (2v_b + v_s)}{(2v_b + v_s)(2v_b - v_s)} = d \frac{4v_b}{(2v_b)^2 - v_s^2} = d \frac{4v_b}{4v_b^2 - v_s^2} \)

Relating the Times

The problem states the new round trip time \( T_{new} \) is 20% of the original time \( T \).

\( T_{new} = 0.20 \times T = \frac{1}{5} T \)

Substitute the expressions for \( T \) and \( T_{new} \):

\( d \frac{4v_b}{4v_b^2 - v_s^2} = \frac{1}{5} \left( d \frac{2v_b}{v_b^2 - v_s^2} \right) \)

Cancel \( d \) and \( v_b \) (since \( v_b \neq 0 \)):

\( \frac{4}{4v_b^2 - v_s^2} = \frac{2}{5(v_b^2 - v_s^2)} \)

Solving for the Speed Ratio

Cross-multiply to solve for the relationship between \( v_b \) and \( v_s \):

\( 4 \times 5(v_b^2 - v_s^2) = 2 \times (4v_b^2 - v_s^2) \) \( 20(v_b^2 - v_s^2) = 8v_b^2 - 2v_s^2 \) \( 20v_b^2 - 20v_s^2 = 8v_b^2 - 2v_s^2 \)

Rearrange the equation:

\( 20v_b^2 - 8v_b^2 = 20v_s^2 - 2v_s^2 \) \( 12v_b^2 = 18v_s^2 \)

Find the ratio \( \frac{v_b^2}{v_s^2} \):

\( \frac{v_b^2}{v_s^2} = \frac{18}{12} = \frac{3}{2} \)

Take the square root to find the ratio \( \frac{v_b}{v_s} \):

\( \frac{v_b}{v_s} = \sqrt{\frac{3}{2}} \)

Conclusion

The actual speed of the motorboat is \( \sqrt{\frac{3}{2}} \) times higher than the speed of the river flow.

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Important Questions from Partial Speed

  1. A train having length 210 metres takes 25 seconds to cross a 540 metres long bridge. How much time will the train take to cross a 630 metres long bridge?

  2. A person X from a place A and another person Y from a place B set out at the same time to walk towards each other. The places are separated by a distance of 15 km. X walks with a uniform speed of 1.5 km / hr and Y walks with a uniform speed of 1 km / hr in the first hour, with a uniform speed of 1.25 km / hr in the second hour and with a uniform speed of 1.5 km / hr in the third hour and so on.

    Which of the following is / are correct?

    1. They take 5 hours to meet.

    2. They meet midway between A and B.

    Select the correct answer using the code given below:

  3. The speed of a train is 120 kmph. What is the distance covered by it in 15 minutes?

  4. I walk a certain distance and ride back taking a total time of 37 minutes. I could walk both ways in 55 minutes. How long would it take me to ride both ways ?

  5. Karan had covered two third of a certain distance when his car had a breakdown. He parked it and covered the remaining distance on foot. His time of travel on foot was 9 times his time of travel on car. What is the ratio of his walking speed with respect to his car’s speed?

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