SOLUTION: It takes 5 hours for Anthony to fix a drain pipe. If his assistant helps him, it takes 3 hours. How many hours will it take for the assistant to do the job alone?

Question 978598: It takes 5 hours for Anthony to fix a drain pipe. If his assistant helps him, it takes 3 hours. How many hours will it take for the assistant to do the job alone?
Answer by Edwin McCravy(20056) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
It takes 5 hours for Anthony to fix a drain pipe.

So Anthony's drain pipe fixing rate is 1 drain pipe fixed per 5 hours =

How many hours will it take for the assistant to do the job alone?

Let the answer be x hours.  Then the assistant's drain pipe fixing rate is
1 drain pipe fixed per x hours =

If his assistant helps him, it takes 3 hours.

Then their combined drain pipe fixing rate is 1 drain pipe fixed per 3 hours =

 
 
The equation comes from 



       

Multiply through by the LCD of 15x and solve for x.

Edwin

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