A boat takes half the time to travel a certain distance downstream compared to upstream. What is the ratio of the boat's speed in still water to the speed of the current?

Explanation

Let the speed of the boat in still water be u km/hr and the speed of the current be v km/hr. The downstream speed is (u + v) km/hr, and the upstream speed is (u - v) km/hr. Given that the time taken downstream is half the time taken upstream for the same distance, we have: 2 × (distance / (u + v)) = distance / (u - v). Simplifying, 2(u - v) = u + v, which leads to u = 3v. Therefore, the ratio of the boat's speed in still water to the speed of the current is 3:1.