SOLUTION: One water pipe fills a water tank in x hours. A second pipe takes 3 hours longer. The two pipes together fill the water tank in 2 hours. How long would it take each pipe to fill

Question 898080: One water pipe fills a water tank in x hours. A second pipe takes 3 hours longer. The two pipes
together fill the water tank in 2 hours. How long would it take each pipe to fill the water tank
separately?

Found 2 solutions by josgarithmetic, josmiceli:
Answer by josgarithmetic(39616) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
The rates for each pipe:
1/x
1/(x+3)
Both at same time:
.

Both together do the job in 2 hours.

The solution which makes sense is .
First pipe would take 3 hours;
Second pipe alone would take 6 hours.
Answer by josmiceli(19441) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Add their rates of filling to get their
rate filling together
1st pipe's rate:
( 1 tank ) / ( x hrs )
2nd pipe's rate:
( 1 tank ) / ( x + 3 hrs )
Rate with both pipes filling:
( 1 tank ) / ( 2 hrs )
----------------------------

Multiply both sides by

( by inspection )
is the positive answer, so

-----------------
The 1st pipe takes 3 hrs
The 2nd pipe takes 6 hrs
----------------------
check:

OK
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