Micah rows his boat on a river 4.48 miles downstream, with the current, in 0.32 hours. He rows back upstream the same distance, against the current, in 0.56 hours. Assuming his rowing speed and the speed of the current are constant, what is the speed of the current?

His downstream speed is 4.48 ÷ 0.32 = 14 miles per hour, and his upstream speed is 4.48 ÷ 0.56 = 8 miles per hour. The downstream speed is his rowing speed plus the current, while the upstream speed is his rowing speed minus the current. Half the difference, (14 − 8) ÷ 2 = 3, is the current’s speed, so the answer is 3 miles per hour.

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.