What is the boat's speed in mph if it covers a 180-ft course in 130 seconds?

To determine the boat's speed in miles per hour (mph), first, it's necessary to convert the distance covered from feet to miles and the time taken from seconds to hours.

1. There are 5280 feet in a mile, so the distance covered in miles is calculated by dividing the distance in feet by the number of feet in a mile:

[

\text{Distance in miles} = \frac{180 \text{ ft}}{5280 \text{ ft/mile}} \approx 0.03409 \text{ miles}

]

2. Next, convert the time from seconds to hours. Since there are 3600 seconds in an hour:

[

\text{Time in hours} = \frac{130 \text{ seconds}}{3600 \text{ seconds/hour}} \approx 0.03611 \text{ hours}

]

3. Now, to find the speed in mph, divide the distance in miles by the time in hours:

[

\text{Speed in mph} = \frac{0.03409 \text{ miles}}{0.03611 \text{ hours}} \approx 0.944 \text{ mph