Rick paddled up the river, spent the night camping, and then paddled back. He spent 10 hours paddling, and the campground was 24 miles away. If Rick kayaked at a speed of 5mph, what was the speed of the current?

1mph

Step-by-step explanation:

According to the statement we have the following system of equation:

24 / (5-C) + 24 / (5 + C) = 10

Solving:

We divide by 2:

12 / (5-C) + 12 / (5 + C) = 5

12 * (5 + C) + 12 * (5-C) = 5 * (5-C) * (5 + C)

60 + 12 * C + 60 - 12 * C = 5 * (25-C ^ 2)

120 = 125 - 5 * C ^ 2

5 * C ^ 2 = 125 - 120

C ^ 2 = 5/5

C = 1

Therefore the speed of the current is equal to 1 mph