document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=6471>Question 6471</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Hi there,<BR>\n" );
document.write( "I am confronted with the following question:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\"A job takes 4 hrs for two people working together. If one person works alone he can do the job in 6 hrs. How long will it take the other person working alone to complete the job?\"<BR>\n" );
document.write( "I don't really know how to approach this question. It seems so simple yet I can't seem to figure out why the answer is 12 hrs. Please help me out.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Thanks in advance,<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Mike </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #3472 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Earlsdon><B>Earlsdon(6294)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Earlsdon><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/nopicture.jpg><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=3472\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> This kind of problem can be solved by asking \"how much of the job is done in 1 hour?\"\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Let's call the two people Sam and Eric, or S and E for short.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So, S and E together can do the whole job in 4 hours. This means that they can do 1/4 of the job in 1 hour.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Now, Sam can do the whole job in 6 hours. This means that Sam can do 1/6 of the job in 1 hour.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "To find find out how much of the job Eric can do in 1 hour, simply subtract what Sam can in 1 hour from what Sam & Eric can do together in 1 hour.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "(S + E) - S = E<BR>\n" );
document.write( "1/4 - 1/6 = 3/12 - 2/12 = 1/12 \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So, Eric can do 1/12 of the job in 1 hour, which means it will take him 12 hours to do the whole job. </SPAN>\n" );
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