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Concept Overview:
● Upstream: When a boat moves against the flow of the stream, the effective speed of
the boat is reduced.
Speed of boat in still water = Speed of boat in upstream + Speed of stream
● Downstream: When a boat moves in the same direction as the flow of the stream,
the effective speed of the boat is increased.
Speed of boat in still water = Speed of boat in downstream − Speed of stream
Practice Calculating Upstream, Downstream Speed
Let us practice calculating Upstream and Downstream speeds. We will first compute the speeds
based on the Speed in Still Water and Speed of the Stream, and then proceed with formulae and
different types of problems.
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Types of Problems:
Type 1: Speed in Still Water, Speed of Stream/Current, Speed at Upstream and Downstream
● Given:
○ Speed in still water (boat speed in still water).
○ Speed of the stream/current.
○ Speed at upstream (against the current) and downstream (with the current).
● To Find:
○ Speed of the boat in still water and speed of the stream/current.
Example Problem:
● The speed of a boat in still water is 10 km/hr, and the speed of the stream is 3 km/hr. What
is the speed of the boat downstream and upstream?
Type 2: Speed at Upstream and Downstream, Speed in Still Water or Speed of Current
● Given:
○ Speed at upstream and downstream.
● To Find:
○ Speed of the boat in still water or speed of the stream/current.
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Example Problem:
● A boat travels 18 km downstream in 2 hours and 18 km upstream in 3 hours. Find the speed
of the stream and the speed of the boat in still water.
Type 3: Upstream, Downstream Distances and Time Required, Speed in Still Water or Speed of
Current
● Given:
○ Distances traveled upstream and downstream.
○ Time taken to cover the distances.
● To Find:
○ Speed of the boat in still water or the speed of the stream/current.
Example Problem:
● A boat takes 5 hours to travel 40 km downstream and 8 hours to cover the same distance
upstream. Find the speed of the boat in still water and the speed of the stream.
Type 4: Miscellaneous Problems
● These problems are a mix of the other types, involving various elements like relative speeds,
meeting points, or complex distances in different conditions.
Example Problem:
● Two boats start from two points that are 50 km apart, and they travel towards each other.
Boat A goes downstream and Boat B goes upstream. After how much time will they meet if
the speed of Boat A in still water is 10 km/hr and the speed of the stream is 2 km/hr?
Tips for Solving Boat and Stream Problems
● Always identify whether the boat is moving upstream or downstream.
● Use the correct formula for speed depending on direction.
● Convert all units consistently (e.g., km/hr to m/s if needed).
● For round trips, sum the times for upstream and downstream.
● Use algebraic equations to solve for unknowns when multiple variables are involved.
● Practice with a variety of problems to become comfortable with different question types.
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Type 1: Speed in Still Water, Speed of Stream, Speed at Upstream and Downstream
Problem 1: Speed of boat in still water is 20 km/hr and the rate of stream is 4 km/hr. What is the
speed of the boat downstream and upstream?
Solution:
● Speed Downstream = Speed of boat in still water + Speed of stream
= 20 + 4 = 24 km/hr
● Speed Upstream = Speed of boat in still water - Speed of stream
= 20 - 4 = 16 km/hr
Answer:
● Speed of boat downstream = 24 km/hr
● Speed of boat upstream = 16 km/hr
Problem 2: Speed of boat in still water is 15 km/hr and speed of stream is 1.5 km/hr. What is the
speed of the boat downstream and upstream?
Solution:
● Speed Downstream = Speed of boat in still water + Speed of stream
= 15 + 1.5 = 16.5 km/hr
● Speed Upstream = Speed of boat in still water - Speed of stream
= 15 - 1.5 = 13.5 km/hr
Answer:
● Speed of boat downstream = 16.5 km/hr
● Speed of boat upstream = 13.5 km/hr
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Type 2: Speed at Upstream and Downstream, Speed in Still Water or Speed of
Current
Problem 1: Speed of boat upstream is 7 km/hr and speed of boat downstream is 10 km/hr. Find
the speed of the boat in still water and rate of stream.
Solution:
Let the speed of the boat in still water be BBB and the speed of the stream be S.
We know:
● Speed downstream = B+S=10B + S = 10
● Speed upstream = B−S=7
Solving these two equations:
(B+S)+(B−S)=10+7 => 2B=17
B=8.5 km/hr (Speed of boat in still water)
Now substitute
B=8.5 in B+S=10
=> 8.5+S=10 => S=1.5 km/hr (Speed of the stream)
Answer:
● Speed of boat in still water = 8.5 km/hr
● Speed of stream = 1.5 km/hr
Problem 2:
In one hour, a boat goes 11 km along the stream and 5 km against the stream. Find the speed of
the boat in still water and rate of the stream.
Solution:
Let the speed of the boat in still water be B and the speed of the stream be S.
● Speed downstream = B+S
● Speed upstream = B−S
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After solving this equation (through substitution or quadratic equations), you would find:
● B=7 km/hr
● S=3 km/hr
Answer:
● Speed of boat in still water = 7 km/hr
● Speed of stream = 3 km/hr
Problem 3:
A man can row upstream at 8 km/hr and downstream at 13 km/hr. Find the speed of boat in still
water and rate of stream.
Solution:
Let the speed of the boat in still water be BBB and the speed of the stream be SSS.
● Speed downstream =3B+S=13
● Speed upstream = B−S=8
Solving these two equations:
Answer:
● Speed of boat in still water = 10.5 km/hr
● Speed of stream = 2.5 km/hr
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Type 3: Upstream, Downstream Distances and Time Required, Speed in Still Water
or Speed of Current
Problem 1:
A man takes 3 hours 45 minutes to row a boat 15 km downstream and 2 hours and 30 minutes to
cover 5 km upstream. Find the speed of the river current in km/hr.
Solution:
By solving these two equations, we find:
● B=6 km/hr
● S=2 km/hr
Answer:
● Speed of the river current = 2 km/hr
Problem 2:
A man rows downstream 32 km and 14 km upstream. If he takes 6 hours to cover each distance,
the velocity (speed) of the current is?
Solution:
Solving these two equations, we find:
● B=8 km/hr
● S=2 km/hr
Answer: Speed of the current = 2 km/hr
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Problem 3:
A motorboat covers a certain distance downstream in 1 hour, while it comes back in 1.5 hours. If
the speed of the stream is 3 km/hr, what is the speed of the boat in still water?
Solution:
Let the speed of the boat in still water be B.
● Downstream speed = B+3
● Upstream speed = B−3
Let the distance be D.
Solving these two equations, we find:
● B=9 km/hr
Answer: Speed of boat in still water = 9 km/hr
Type 4: Miscellaneous Problems
Problem 1:
A motorboat whose speed is 15 km/hr in still water goes 30 km downstream and comes back in a
total of 4 hours 30 minutes. What is the speed of the stream?
Solution:
Answer: Speed of stream = 3 km/hr
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Problem 2:
A man can row 5 km/hr in still water. If the velocity of the current is 1 km/hr and it takes him 1
hour to row to a place and come back, how far is the place?
Solution:
Let the distance to the place be D.
● Speed downstream = 5+1=6 km/hr
● Speed upstream = 5−1=4 km/hr
D=2.4 km
Answer: Distance to the place = 2.4 km
Problem 3:
A man can row 7 km/hr in still water. If the river is running at 1.5 km/hr, it takes him 50 minutes to
row to a place and back. How far off is the place?
Solution:
Let the distance to the place be D.
● Speed downstream =7+1.5=8.5 km/hr
● Speed upstream =7−1.5=5.5 km/hr
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Solving this, we find: D=2 km
Answer:Distance to the place = 2 km
Problem 4:
In a stream running at 2 km/hr, a motorboat goes 6 km upstream and back again to the starting
point in 33 minutes. Find the speed of the motorboat in still water.
Solution:
Let the speed of the motorboat in still water be B.
● Speed upstream = B−2
● Speed downstream = B+2
Solving this, we find: B=6 km/hr
Answer:Speed of motorboat in still water = 6 km/hr
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