Speed of Current in a River: A Kayaking Adventure

What is the speed of the person's paddle in still water and the speed of the current?

Given data:

Speed against the current: 28 miles per hour

Speed with the current: 7.8 miles per hour

Answer:

The speed of the current is 10.1 miles per hour.

To find the speed of the current and the speed the person can paddle in still water, we can set up a system of equations. Let's call the speed of the current 'c' and the speed the person can paddle in still water 'p'. When kayaking against the current, the person's overall speed is their paddle speed minus the speed of the current:

28 = p - c

And when kayaking with the current, the overall speed is their paddle speed plus the speed of the current:

7.8 = p + c

Now we can solve these equations to find 'c' and 'p'. Adding the two equations together, we get:

28 + 7.8 = (p - c) + (p + c)

35.8 = 2p

p = 17.9

Substituting this value back into one of the equations, we can find 'c':

7.8 = 17.9 + c

c = -10.1

Therefore, the speed of the current is 10.1 miles per hour.