SOLUTION: It takes Tom 3 hours less to paint a fence than it does Jim. If the two boys work together, they can paint the fence in 2 hours. How many hours would each boym working alone need t

Question 128209: It takes Tom 3 hours less to paint a fence than it does Jim. If the two boys work together, they can paint the fence in 2 hours. How many hours would each boym working alone need to paint the fence?
Answer by josmiceli(19441) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Add their rates of doing work
(1 fence) / (Tom's time to paint it) + (1 fence) / (Jim's time to paint it) =
(1 fence) / (the time it takes them working together)
Let = Jim's time to paint the fence

multiply both sides by

The solutions are and
I'm going to reject as a solution,
since Tom's time which is would
be negative.
Jim's time working alone is 6 hours
and Tom's time working alone is 3 hours
check:

OK

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