SOLUTION: Melanie can paint a certain barn by herself in x days. Her helper, Melissa can paint the same barn by herself in 2x days. Write a rational expression for the fraction of the barn t

Algebra ->  Polynomials-and-rational-expressions -> SOLUTION: Melanie can paint a certain barn by herself in x days. Her helper, Melissa can paint the same barn by herself in 2x days. Write a rational expression for the fraction of the barn t      Log On


   

Question 184661: Melanie can paint a certain barn by herself in x days. Her helper, Melissa can paint the same barn by herself in 2x days. Write a rational expression for the fraction of the barn that they complete in one day by working together. Evaluate the expression for x=5.
Answer by solver91311(24713) About Me  (Show Source):
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Melanie can paint a certain barn by herself in x days, so she can paint th of the barn in 1 day. Likewise her helper can paint th of the barn in 1 day.

Together, they can paint:

th of the barn in 1 day.

So together they take:

days to paint the barn.

Just substitute 5 for x to evaluate for 5 days.

In general if A takes x time periods to do a job, and B takes y time periods to do the same job, then working together they can complete the job in:



time periods.


John