Two rowers, who can row at the same speed in still water, set off across a river at the same time. One heads straight across and is pulled downstream by the current. The other one heads upstream at an angle so as to arrive at a point opposite the starting point. Which rower reaches the opposite side first? Explain.

In such problems, the rower with the highest speed in the cross-river direction will be the one that reaches the other side first.

When two rowers set off across a river, in which one heads straight across, and the other one heads upstream at an angle, both the rowers are required to cover the same distance across the river, where the current has no bearing on the time to cross the river because the current doesn’t help in moving the boat across the river.

Between both the rowers, the one with a greater speed crossing the river will reach the opposite side before the other. Also, the rower, who is moving straight across, will reach the opposite side first.

Most of the efforts for the upstream rower go in crossing the river by battling the current, and their cross-river speed will be only a fraction of the original speed.