document.write( "Question 914657: A mason and his assistant work together for 4 hours on a brick fireplace before the mason has to leave the job. The assistant finishes the job alone in 10 hours. If the mason can construct a fireplace in 12 hours working alone, how long does it take his assistant working alone to construct a fireplace?\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "I know this is a work problem and r*t=wc. If the problem was straight forward I would set it up as X/10 + x/12 =1 but how do i account for the fours hours already worked together?
\n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #555226 by josgarithmetic(39620)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Work-problems like this are a type of Uniform Rates problem. Try this equational format: RT=J for rate, time, amount of job. The rates are in dimension of \"JOBS%2FTIME\" for 1 unit of time, usually.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Look at the rates for these workers.
\n" ); document.write( "Mason, \"1%2F12\"
\n" ); document.write( "Assistant, \"1%2Fx\"
\n" ); document.write( "Mason+Assistant, \"1%2F12%2B1%2Fx\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "The sum of their individual rates is their rate when they work together. We do not yet know the time needed for the assistant to do this 1 job alone; but I am calling this time, x.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "The arrangement of the time and the workers was to do 1 whole job. They work together 4 hours and then assistant works alone to finish in 10 hours.\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " \"highlight%28%281%2F12%2B1%2Fx%294%2B%281%2Fx%29%2A10=1%29\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "The question essentially asks for finding the value of x.
\n" ); document.write( "See the way the equation uses the uniform rates rule!
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" );