document.write( "Question 953872: Drains a, b, and c are used to empty a pool. drain a can empty the pool twice as fast as drain b. drain c can empty the pool 2 hours faster than drain a. working together, the three drains can empty the pool in 6 hours. how fast could drain b empty the pool working alone? \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #582596 by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740)\"\" \"About 
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: Drains a, b, and c are used to empty a pool. drain a can empty the pool twice as fast as drain b. drain c can empty the pool 2 hours faster than drain a. working together, the three drains can empty the pool in 6 hours. how fast could drain b empty the pool working alone?
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "let the drain times of each be a, b, c
\n" ); document.write( "write an equation for each statement
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "\" drain a can empty the pool twice as fast as drain b.\". therefore:
\n" ); document.write( "b = 2a
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "\" drain c can empty the pool 2 hours faster than drain a.\" therefore:
\n" ); document.write( "c =(a-2)
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( " working together, the three drains can empty the pool in 6 hours.
\n" ); document.write( "let the completed job = 1 (an empty pool)
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "\"6%2Fa\" + \"6%2Fb\" + \"6%2Fc\" = 1
\n" ); document.write( "replace b with 2a and c with (a-2)
\n" ); document.write( "\"6%2Fa\" + \"6%2F2a\" + \"6%2F%28%28a-2%29%29\" = 1
\n" ); document.write( "reduce the 2nd fraction
\n" ); document.write( "\"6%2Fa\" + \"3%2Fa\" + \"6%2F%28%28a-2%29%29\" = 1
\n" ); document.write( "multiply by a(a-2), cancel the denominators and you have:
\n" ); document.write( "6(a-2) + 3(a-2) + 6a = a(a-2)
\n" ); document.write( "6a - 12 + 3a - 6 + 6a = a^2 - 2a
\n" ); document.write( "Combine like terms
\n" ); document.write( "15a - 18 = a^2 - 2a
\n" ); document.write( "Combine on the right to form a quadratic equation
\n" ); document.write( "0 = a^2 - 2a - 15a + 18
\n" ); document.write( "a^2 - 17a + 18 = 0
\n" ); document.write( "we have to use the quadratic formula to solve this; a=1, b=-17, c=18
\n" ); document.write( "I got inexact solutions, a = 15.865 is the reasonable answer
\n" ); document.write( "a = 15.865 hrs alone
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( " how fast could drain b empty the pool working alone?
\n" ); document.write( "Takes twice as long, therefore
\n" ); document.write( "2*15.865 = 31.73 hrs
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "let's check this; c=13.865 (two hrs less)
\n" ); document.write( "\"6%2F15.865\" + \"6%2F31.73\" + \"6%2F13.865\" =
\n" ); document.write( ".378 + .189 + .433 = 1, this is a good solution
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