document.write( "Question 808339: If 4 people take 6 days to do a painting job, how many days will it take 3 people to do the same job? \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #486955 by Edwin McCravy(20056)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
\r\n" );
document.write( "There are more than one way to do this:\r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "Here's one way:\r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "The least common multiple of 4 people and 3 people is 12 people.\r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "12 people is 3 times as many people as 4 people, and\r\n" );
document.write( "12 people is 4 times as many as 3 people.\r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "Since 4 people take 6 days, 3 times as many people take only\r\n" );
document.write( "one-third as long, or only 2 days. (since 2 is one-third of 6)\r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "Since 3 people is only one-fourth as many people as 12, it will take\r\n" );
document.write( "them 4 times as long as it would take 12 people, or 8 days. (since\r\n" );
document.write( "4 times 2 is 8).\r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "Answer: 8 days\r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "---------\r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "Or you can do it this way:\r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "Since 4 people take 6 days, their combined rate is 1/6 of a job per day.\r\n" );
document.write( "So one person's rate is 1/4 of that rate or 1/4 of 1/6 of a job per day,\r\n" );
document.write( "or 1/24 of a job per day.  Then 3 people's rate will be 3 time 1/24 of a\r\n" );
document.write( "job per day, or 3/24 of a job per day.  And 3/24 reduces to 1/8 of a\r\n" );
document.write( "job per day, so it will take them 8 days to complete the job.\r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "--------------------\r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "Another way is: \r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "Workers times days = Workers times days\r\n" );
document.write( "         4 times 6 = 3 times X\r\n" );
document.write( "                24 = 3x\r\n" );
document.write( "                 8 = x\r\n" );
document.write( "\r\n" );
document.write( "Edwin
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" );