SOLUTION: Dale can finish 12kg laundry in 5 hours while Jim can finish 8.4 kg laundry in 4 hours. If they work together, how long will they be able to finish 18 kg laundry?

Question 972287: Dale can finish 12kg laundry in 5 hours while Jim can finish 8.4 kg laundry in 4 hours. If they work together, how long will they be able to finish 18 kg laundry?
Answer by josgarithmetic(39630) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Laundry is done in batches, so uniform work rates is a bad way to model such a job. The size of the laundry and the time for doing it have a relationship. If Dale and Jim work together, then they finish in about maybe 6 or 7 hours. Jim finishes first, and he may then help Dale, but this would not do much for time saving.

Look best at it this way:

size____________time
8.4_____________4
12______________5
18______________?

What kind of fit should this be? You could try and assume a linear fit. Size determines time. Expect about 8.6 hours for an 18 kg laundry.
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