SOLUTION: Together Mary and Sara can mow a golf course in 15 hours. Alone it takes Mary 2 hours less than Sara. Find the time it takes each of them to mow the course alone. PLEASE HELP!!!! t

Question 143252: Together Mary and Sara can mow a golf course in 15 hours. Alone it takes Mary 2 hours less than Sara. Find the time it takes each of them to mow the course alone. PLEASE HELP!!!! the answer is m=29 and s=31, but I don't know how to get there. HELP APPRECIATED!!!!
Answer by checkley77(12844) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
I BELIEVE YOUR ANSWERS ARE ROUNDED NUMBERS & DON'T WORK OUT IN THE PROOF:
29*31/(29=31=15
899/60=15
14.98=/15
------------------------------
X(X+2)/(X+X+2)=15
(X^2+2X)/(2X+2)=15
X^2+2X=15(2X+2)
X^2+2X=30X+30
X^2+2X-30X-30=0
X^2-28X-30=0
USING THE QUADRATIC EQUATION WE GET:
X=(28+-SQRT[28^2-4*1*-30])/2*1
X=(28+-SQRT[784+120])/2
X=(28+-SQRT904)/2
X=(28+-30.0666)/2
X=(28+30.0666)/2
X=58.0666/2
X=29.0333 FOR ONE MARY'S 'MOW ALONE' TIME.
29.0333+2=31.0333 FOR SDARA'S MOW ALONE TIME.
PROOF:
29.0333*31.0333/(29.0333+31.0333)=15
900.999/60.0666=15
15.0000001~15
RELATED QUESTIONS
Together Mary and Sara can mow a golf course in 15 hours. Alone it takes Mary 2 hours... (answered by scott8148)

Together Mary and Sara can mow a golf course in 15 hours. Alone it takes Mary 2 hours... (answered by scott8148)

Together, Mary and John can write a particular type of computer program in 15 hours.... (answered by josmiceli)

it takes mary 3 hours more to do a job than it takes jane. if they work together,they can (answered by josmiceli)

Working together, Dan and Leah an mow a lawn in one hour and twelve minutes. Working... (answered by josmiceli)

it takes mary 3 hours to do a job that it takes jane. If they work together, they can... (answered by richwmiller)

Working together, Sara and Heidi can milk the cows in 2 hours. If they work alone, it... (answered by ptaylor)

Sara and Joan were able to clean the attic in 10 hours together. It takes Joan 11 hours... (answered by richwmiller)

Joe and Mary working together can rake a lawn in 2 hours. Joe can do the job alone in 3... (answered by stanbon)