An aircraft carrier made a trip. The trip there took 5 hours and the trip back took 6 hours. It averaged 3 mph faster on the trip there then on the return trip. Find the aircraft carriers speed on the outbound trip.

Answer: The outbound trip is 18 miles per hour

Step-by-step explanation:

Let x represent the speed of the plane.

An aircraft carrier made a trip. Let us assume that this trip was outbound. The trip there took 5 hours.

Distance = speed * time. Therefore

Distance = 5x

The trip back took 6 hours. It averaged 3 mph faster on the trip there then on the return trip. This means that the speed on the trip back is x - 3 mph.

Distance = 6 (x-3) = 6x - 18

Since the distance is the same,

5x = 6x - 18

6x - 5x = 18

x = 18

The speed on return or inbound trip would be 18 - 3 = 15 mph