Question about placement test, etc.

[RNSuzq1, RN]

Hi All,

Like all of you, my dream and goal is to become a Nurse. The School I've applied to has accepted my English, Biology and Psych. from a previous College. I was a Navy Hospital Corpsman for years (working the Wards) and they are giving me bonus points for all the medical classes I took in the Navy.

I took Business Math in College - instead of Algebra - so next Wednesday I have to take an Algebra placement exam to complete the admission process for the Fall 2004 Program. The sample test they gave me is "60 pages" long - sort of flipping me out. It's been 20 years since my last algebra class - so my college son "bravely" offered to tutor me. We've been going over this sample test of the last month and have finally gotten to the last portion of the test - all dealing with rational expressions and lots of other "fun" foreign terms to me, ha, ha...

My Son is an engineering/physics major and said the last part of the test is more physics than algebra - I never took physics, so I'm really worried about this portion of the test. Anyways, he's the kind of person that goes crazy if he can't figure something out and the last question on the test has him completely stumped. We have the answer sheet and know what the answer is - but he can't figure out how they got this answer. He had 2 pages filled with X's and Y's and still couldn't solve the equation. It was so far over my head - I just used my "good old common sense" and unbelievably came within 2 numbers of the correct answer.

Anways, just for fun I'm going to throw the question out to all you "brainiacs" and see if someone can come up with the correct answer. I'll bake you a cake if you're right - you'll have to pick it up at my house though!!!

The $64,000 question is: The speed of the current in a river is 5 mph. If a boat can travel 198 miles with the current in the same time it could travel 138 miles against the current, what is the speed of the boat in still water?

I'm praying there won't be many questions like this on the test or I'm doomed. I'd appreciate any suggestions from those of you who have taken placement exams before - I'm just a little worried about this and hoping it's not as hard as I think it's going to be. I won't turn down any Prayers, Lighting of Candles or Words of Encouragement - I need them all!!! I'll be checking back to see if anyone could solve the Algebra problem so I can start baking you cakes!!! Thanks, SusanNC

[memphispanda, RN]

I'll give it a shot--have no idea if this is right or not because I usually did terrible at these problems. The answer I got was 28mph.

Here's how I got that answer:

(x+5)/198 = (x-5)/138

138(x+5) = 198(x-5)

138x+690 = 198x-990

690+990 = 198x-138x

1680 = 60x

x = 28