AboutAbe Mantell Expertise Hello, I am a college professor of mathematics and regularly teach all levels from elementary mathematics through differential equations, and would be happy to assist anyone with such questions!
Experience Over 15 years teaching at the college level.
Question Flying with the wind, a small plane can fly 600 mi in 3 h.
Against the wind, the plane can fly the same distance in 4 h.
Find the rate of the plane in calm air and the rate of the
wind.
Answer Hello Kathleen,
Let x=the rate of the plane in calm air, and y=the rate of the wind
So, using distance=rate*time we get the two equations:
