A plane flying at its maximum speed can go 220 miles per hour with a tailwind or 140 miles per hour into a headwind.

Question

A plane flying at its maximum speed can go 220 miles per hour with a tailwind or 140 miles per hour into a headwind.

What is the wind speed (in miles per hour)?

What would be the maximum speed of the plane (in miles per hour) if there were no wind?

Answer 1

X mph is speed of wind

if no wind, the maximum speed of airplane is 220-x

If no wind, both speed in both directions will be the same.

220-x=140+x

x=40mph This is speed of wind

Therefore, maximum speed of airplane, if no wind, is 220-40=180mph

Answer 2

Hi Tim, let w represent the wind speed. Then, when the plane is flying with the wind, the plane's speed would be 220 - w and when the plane is flying into the wind, the plane's speed would be 140 + w.

Solve for w:

220 - w = 140 + w

2w = 80

w = 40

The wind speed would be 40 mph.

The plane's speed without the wind would be 220 - 40, or 180 mph.

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