The correct answer, of course, is 42. [log in to unmask] wrote: > X-no-Archive:yes > Searching google for "problem paint room 3 hours 4", the first hit is > <http://www.csun.edu/~math095/schedule/notes/mod8/rational/applicationsratio > nalequations.html> gives an almost identical version of this problem, and > this solution, adapted to our numbers: > > Use the formula Work = Rate x Time. > The rate for the carpenter is 1/3 ( this means he can complete 1/3 of the > job per hour). > The rate for the apprentice is 1/4. > The time it take them to complete the job is unknown so we'll call it "t". > We get : > 1/3 t + 1/4 t =1 > (Notice that they both work for the same length of time, so we can use the > same variable t for both. And that they complete one full job so the sum of > their work is 1) > Next we multiply both sides by the lowest common denominator which is 15 and > get: > 4t + 3t = 12 > 7t = 12 > t = 12/7 = 1.714 hours or 1 hour 42 minutes and 51.42857 seconds. > > So, is this going to get us an honorable mention in the San Jose Mercury > News? > > Greg Stigers > http://www.cgiusa.com > ================================ > The whole is more than the sum of its parts. > -- [log in to unmask] > > * To join/leave the list, search archives, change list settings, * > * etc., please visit http://raven.utc.edu/archives/hp3000-l.html * -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- John MacLerran IT Systems Analyst email: [log in to unmask] Idaho State University V(208) 282-2954 http://www.isu.edu/~macljohn F(208) 282-3673 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- * To join/leave the list, search archives, change list settings, * * etc., please visit http://raven.utc.edu/archives/hp3000-l.html *