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[Aptitude] Boats and Streams made-easy using our STD-Table Method

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Case#1: Basics
Case 2: Time same but Different distance covered in each case
Case #3: unknown variables
Previous Articles

I hope youve mastered the STD table method from earlier articles on Time and Work /
Pipes and Cistern.
We can use that STD method even in boats and streams question as well.
But first some terminologies

Downstream

Boat is moving along with flow of river (B), so water stream (S)
helps the boat to move faster.
It is same like A and B work together. So their speed will
increase and we can do addition.
Hence Downstream speed = speed of Boat PLUS speed of
stream (B+S)

Upstream

Boat is moving against the direction of river. It is same like Pipe

A can fill the tank in 2 hours while Pipe B can empty the tank in
1 hours
In short they work against each other, hence final speed is
decreases so weve to subtract. (B-S)
Upstream speed = Speed of Boat MINUS speed of stream
(B-S)

Case#1: Basics
Question: A man can row Upstream @15kmph and downstream @21 kmph, what
is the speed of water in river?
Now construct the usual STD table from the given data
B alone S alone Downstream (B+S) Upstream (B-S)
Speed

??

21

15

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Time
Distance
As weve seen in earlier Time and work problems, we can do addition and subtraction
in the Speed cells directly.
B+S=21..eq(1)
B-S=15eq(2)
Add both equations
(B+S) PLUS (B-S) = 21 PLUS 15
2B=36
B=36/2
B=18 kmph
We already know that
B+S=21
SO IF B is 18 kmph then S = 21 minus 18 = 3 kmph.
Answer: Speed of water is 3 kmph.
[Alternatively: You can directly calculate speed of water by subtracting eq(1) from
eq(2)]
Shortcut Method
Above equations only for showing you the concept.
Otherwise in the exam hall you can directly subtract column 4 from column 3, divide it
by 2 you get speed of column 2.
then subtract column 2 from column 3 you get speed of column 1:See this Image

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DONE! No lengthy calculation required. But mind it: In the STD table, We can do
direct addition, subtraction only for the speed cells and not for time cells.
You can also verify the answer from the table.
B alone S alone Downstream (B+S) Upstream (B-S)
Speed

18

21

15

Time
Distance
From the first two columns B minus S= 18 minus 3 = 15.
In the last column, you can see that Upstream (B-S) = 15.
So yes answer is correct.
Anyways this was quite easy no brainer. Time to make things a bit complicated with
next question
Case 2: Time same but Different distance covered in each case
Q. A Man rows the boat downstream for 60 km and Upstream 36 km, taking 4
hours each time. What is the speed of this boat?
Fill up the STD table
B alone S alone Downstream (B+S) Upstream (B-S)
Speed

??

Time

Distance

60

36

Apply the STD formula on third column

Speed x Time = Distance
Speed x 4= 60
Speed = 60/4
Downstream speed =15 kmph
Same way calculate for fourth column, youll get upstream speed = 36/4=9kmph
Update the table
B alone S alone Downstream (B+S) Upstream (B-S)
Speed

??

15

Time

Distance

60

36

Shortcut method revisited

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Compare this with first case. We know the speeds of upstream and downstream, we
can use the shortcut method.

For those still uncomfortable with shortcut method, just do it manually

B+S=15 ; from column 4
B-S=9 from column 3
add both equations
(B+S) PLUS (B-S) = 15 PLUS 9
2B=24
B==24/2 =12 kmph
Answer. Speed of boat is 12 km per hour.
Verify the answer
So far weve calculated that
B+S=15 and
B=12.
Hence S=15 minus B=15 minus 12 =3kmph
Update the table
B alone S alone Downstream (B+S) Upstream (B-S)
Speed

12

15

Time

Distance

60

36

For the speed cells, Column 1 minus column 2 equals column 4. Hence answer is

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correct.
Case #3: unknown variables
A boat sails downstream from point A to B, which is 10 km away from A, and
then returns to A. If actual speed of the boat in still water is 3kmph, and the total
upstream and downstream journey takes 12 hours. What must be the actual
speed of boat for the trip from A to B to take exactly 100 minutes.
Difficulty of a question doesnt depend on the length of question paragraph. Above sum
has no dum in it, just like our PM. This can be solved using the universal STD
method.
Given in the problem:
Speed of boat in still water (B alone) =3kmph
Length of river =10km
We know that total time taken for upstream+ downstream=12 hours.
Suppose upstream takes journey takes t hours, then downstream journey takes=
(12-t) hours. Fill up the table
From A to B

From B to A

B alone S alone Downstream (B+S) Upstream (B-S)

Speed

??

3+s

3-s

Time

12-t

Distance

10

10

Apply the STD formula for both upstream and downstream columns
Speed x time = distance
(3+s)*(12-t)=10 (t-12)=10/(3+s)eq(1)
(3-s)*(t)=10t=10/(3-s)eq(2)
The total time taken in upstream + downstream journey
(12-t)+ t=12
Substitute the values of (12-t) and (t) with the things from eq 1 and 2
See this image for calculation

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Therefore
S2=9-5=4
MIND IT: Square Roots
S2=4 that doesnt mean s=2 only.
Because square of (-2) =(-2)*(-2)=(+4)
When you take square root of 4, it can be (+2) or (-2)
But Since speed of water is a positive value, well use s=(+2). But keep this thing in
mind especially for data-sufficiency problems.
Update the table
From A to B

From B to A

B alone S alone Downstream (B+S) Upstream (B-S)

Speed

3+2=5

3-2=1

Time

12-t

Distance

10

10

We are not concerned with finding time in this question but still for practice :find
Upstream time
Speed xtime = distance
1 x t =10
t = 10/1=10 hours.
Upstream time is 10 hours.
Similarly downstream time is 2 hours. (apply STD or use 12-t, answer is 2 hours)
Coming to the ultimate question
What must be the actual speed of boat for the trip from A to B to take exactly 100
minutes.

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Rephrase:
We want to go downstream for 10 kilometers. Speed of river is 2 kmph. We want
to cover this distance in exactly 100 minutes, how fast should we run this boat?
Make a new column
Assume that new speed of boat should be (Bn)
From A to B

From B to A

Special case: A to
B

B
alone

S
alone

Downstream
(B+S)

Upstream
(B-S)

Downstream
(Bn+S)

(Bn+2)

Time

2 hrs

10 hrs

100 minutes

Distance

10

10

10

Speed

MIND IT: all units must be in same format

To get correct answers in STD formula, everything must be in same format.
Either kilometer-hour format OR metre-second format
Lets stick to hours in this case.
Convert 100 minutes into hours
60 minutes =1 hour
1 minute =1/60 hour
Multiply both sides with 100
100 minutes = (100/60) hours.
(In short: When you want to convert minutes into hours, just divide minutes by
60)
Apply STD formula on last column
Speed x time = distance
(Bn+2) x 100/60=10
(Bn+2) =6010/100
(Bn+2) =6
Bn=6-2
Bn=4 kmph
Final answer: if we wish to cover 10 km downstream in 100 minutes, we must run the
boat at the speed of 4kmph.
For previous Articles on Aptitude, visit Mrunal.org/aptitude

URL to article: http://mrunal.org/2012/04/aptitude-boats-and-streamsmade-easy.html

Posted By Mrunal On 22/04/2012 @ 16:57 In the category Aptitude

7/28/2014 2:00 PM