SOLUTION: Melanie can paint a barn by herself in x days. Her helper Sam can paint the same barn my himself in 2x days. Write a rational expression for the fractions of the barn that they com

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Question 131645: Melanie can paint a barn by herself in x days. Her helper Sam can paint the same barn my himself in 2x days. Write a rational expression for the fractions of the barn that they complete in one day by working together. Evaluate the expression for x=5. Please help I don't understand.....Thanks
Found 2 solutions by stanbon, TakeATuition.com:
Answer by stanbon(57984) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Melanie can paint a barn by herself in x days. Her helper Sam can paint the same barn my himself in 2x days. Write a rational expression for the fractions of the barn that they complete in one day by working together. Evaluate the expression for x=5.
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Melanie DATA:
Time = x days/job ; Rate = 1/x job/day
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Sam DATA:
Time = 2x days/job ; Rate = 1/2x job/day
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EQUATION:
day rate + day rate = part of job done in one day
(1/x) + (1/2x) = 3x/2x^2 = 3/(2x) job in one day
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If x = 5 you get
(3/10)th job in one day
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Answer by TakeATuition.com(57) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
SOLUTION -
Melanie paint a barn in x days
then i day work of Melanie = 1%2Fx
helper paint a barn in 2x days
then i day work of helper = 1%2F2x

one day work of Melanie + one day work of helper = %281%2Fx%29%2B%281%2F2x%29
now x = 5
substituting the value of x
%281%2Fx%29%2B%281%2F2x%29
%281%2F5%29%2B%281%2F%282%2A5%29%29
%281%2F5%29%2B%281%2F10%29
%282%2B1%29%2F10
3%2F10

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