If a boat that travels 23 miles per hour in still water is traveling with a current that has a rate of 2 miles per hour, how far will the boat travel in 3 hours? 75 miles 69 miles 71 miles

To solve this problem, we need to determine the effective speed of the boat when it is traveling with the current and then calculate the distance it will cover in 3 hours. 1. **Identify the known conditions:** - Speed of the boat in still water: \( b = 23 \) miles per hour - Speed of the current: \( c = 2 \) miles per hour - Time of travel: \( t = 3 \) hours 2. **Calculate the effective speed of the boat with the current:** The effective speed \( s \) of the boat when traveling with the current is the sum of the boat's speed and the current's speed: \[ s = b + c = 23 + 2 \] 3. **Calculate the distance traveled:** The distance \( d \) traveled by the boat can be calculated using the formula: \[ d = s \times t \] Now, let's perform the calculations step by step. ### Step 1: Calculate the effective speed \[ s = 23 + 2 = 25 \text{ miles per hour} \] ### Step 2: Calculate the distance traveled in 3 hours \[ d = 25 \times 3 = 75 \text{ miles} \] Thus, the boat will travel **75 miles** in 3 hours. The correct answer is **75 miles**.