Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A boat moves at in still water. It crosses a river wide that flows at .
Quickest crossing: point straight across. Then , and the river carries the boat downstream.
Landing straight opposite: point upstream at an angle with . Then
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Given. , , .
Step 1. Shortest time. Point straight across: .
Step 2. Drift. In that time the river carries the boat downstream.
Step 3. Landing opposite. , so upstream from the line straight across.
Step 4. That crossing. The part across is , so .
Answer: (a) , landing downstream. (b) upstream, taking .
Check. Landing opposite takes longer than the quickest crossing, as it always does.
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