Question:medium

A boat takes 3 hours to travel from point X to Y upstream and Y to X downstream. What is the speed of the water current in km/hour?
Statement 1: The speed of boat in still water is 6 kmph
Statement 2: In some other river, stream the boat covers the same distance in 2 hours with the same speed.

Updated On: Jan 13, 2026
  • Statement (1) alone is sufficient to answer the question
  • Statement (2) alone is sufficient to answer the question
  • Both the statements together are needed to answer the question
  • Either statement (1) alone or statement (2) alone is sufficient to answer the question
  • Neither statement (1) nor statement (2) suffices to answer the question
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The Correct Option is

Solution and Explanation

The correct answer is option (E):
Neither statement (1) nor statement (2) suffices to answer the question

The problem asks for the speed of the water current. To solve this, we need information about the boat's speed in still water and the time taken for upstream and downstream journeys.

Let's analyze the statements:

Statement 1: The speed of the boat in still water is 6 kmph.
This provides the boat's speed in still water, which we can denote as 'b' = 6 kmph. However, we do not know the time taken or distance travelled. We need additional information, such as the upstream and downstream travel times and the distance. This statement alone is not sufficient.

Statement 2: In some other river, the boat covers the same distance in 2 hours with the same speed.
This tells us that in another river the boat covers the same distance (XY) in 2 hours with the same speed, which we assume is the still water speed as mentioned in statement 1 (6 kmph). This is also not sufficient as we need information about the time spent for upstream and downstream journeys. Furthermore, in the first instance, the boat travels from X to Y upstream and back downstream. The second river context is given, but doesn't explain the time taken to travel upstream and downstream.

Combining the information.
The boat travels from X to Y and then Y to X in the first river and the same distance can be travelled in 2 hours (in the second river).
Let the speed of the current be 'c' and the distance between X and Y be 'd'. The speed of the boat in still water is given by statement 1 as 6 kmph.
Upstream speed = b - c = 6 - c
Downstream speed = b + c = 6 + c
Time upstream + Time downstream = 3 hours
Therefore, d/(6-c) + d/(6+c) = 3 (Equation 1)

In the second river we do not know the stream conditions, therefore we cannot derive the upstream and downstream speeds.

Statement 2 gives that the same distance 'd' in the second river can be covered in 2 hours. However, we don't know the type of journey (upstream, downstream, or still water).

We need at least two equations to solve for two unknowns (c and d). Since Statement 1 tells us the boat's speed in still water and statement 2 gives information of an alternate river, it is not possible to figure out the speed of water current.

Therefore, neither statement alone, nor together, provide sufficient information to determine the speed of the water current.
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