Based on the calculations, the slowest rate is equal to 4 gallons per minute.
Given the following data:
Let's assume the boat would sink if it takes in more than 20 gallons of water.
Conversion:
Translating the word problem into an algebraic expression, we have;
[tex]\frac{12}{0.4} \times 3 - \frac{12}{0.4} \times x\geq 30\\\\\frac{36}{0.4}-\frac{12x}{0.4} \geq 30\\\\90-\frac{12x}{0.4} \geq 30\\\\\frac{12x}{0.4} \geq90+30\\\\\frac{12x}{0.4} \geq120\\\\12x \geq120 \times 0.4\\\\12x \geq 48\\\\x\geq 4[/tex]
Therefore, the slowest rate is equal to 4 gallons per minute.
Read more on distance here: brainly.com/question/10545161