So if the speed of the boat is b, and the current is c, the speed against the current is b - c. Similarly, the speed with the current will be b + c....

So if the speed of the boat is b, and the current is c, the speed against the current is b - c. Similarly, the speed with the current will be b + c. So let"s fill those in: (on board) Rate Upriver Downriver OK, next step: (on board) 4. Use distance = rate Time to write equations. This is fairly straightforward. If a car went at 50 miles per hour for 4 hours, how did it go?