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Aptitude Shortcuts and Mind Tricks for Boats and Streams Problems Type-I

BOATS AND STREAMS

QUESTION
A boat travels upstream from B to A and downstream from A to B in 3 hours. If the
speed of the boat in still water is 9km/hr and the speed of the current is 3km/hr, find the
distance between A and B?
GIVEN
Speed of boat in still water, a = 9km/hr
Speed of stream, b = 3km/hr
Time taken to travel from A to B and B to A, T = 3 hours
SOLUTION
NORMAL METHOD
Speed Downstream = (a + b) km/hr
= (9+3) = 12 km/hr
Speed Upstream = (a b) km/hr
= (9 3) = 6 km/hr
Let the distance travelled, D = X km
Then, [X/speed downstream] + [X/speed upstream] = Time taken to travel
[X/12] + [X/6] = 3
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[X + 2X] / 12 = 3
X + 2X = 36
3X = 36
X = 36/3 = 12
Therefore Distance travelled, D = X = 12km
ALTERNATE METHOD
Distance = [Time (a2 b2)] / 2a
Where, a = speed of boat in still water
b = speed of stream
D = [3 (92 32)] / (2 9)
D = [3 (81 9)] / 18
D = [3 72] /18 = 34
Therefore D = 12 km

More Aptitude Shortcuts and Mind Tricks-Check Below:

Aptitude Shortcuts for Profit and Loss Problems
Aptitude Shortcuts for Simple Interest and Compound Interest
Aptitude Shortcuts for Ratio and Proportion

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