document.write( "Question 996903: Bill, Bob, and Barry are painting signs. In 8 hours Bill can paint 1 sign,Bob can paint 2, and Barry can paint 1 and 1/3 signs. Barry stops painting after 3 hours, and Bob stops after 3 and 1/2. How long will it it take Bill to finish the 2 signs they had to do \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #615212 by josgarithmetic(39617)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Simplify their rates.\r
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document.write( "           raw        step            simplified\r\n" );
document.write( "Bill      \"1%2F8\"           \"1%2F8\"            \"1%2F8\"\r\n" );
document.write( "Bob       \"2%2F8\"           \"1%2F4\"            \"1%2F4\"\r\n" );
document.write( "Barry     \"%281%2B1%2F3%29%2F8\"     \"%284%2F3%29%2F8\"          \"1%2F6\"\r\n" );
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Review the time sequence and who is working. The description is obscure but we might guess that the job begins with all three people working.
\n" ); document.write( "Bill+Bob+Barry work for 3 hours;
\n" ); document.write( "Barry stops, and
\n" ); document.write( "Bill+Bob work for 3+1/2 hours;
\n" ); document.write( "Bob stops, and
\n" ); document.write( "Bill works for some unknown t time in hours to do \"2 signs they had to do\".\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Again, this seems an obscure description, but seems like the amount of work to do was to be 2 signs. The unit in the rate table is in SIGN per HOUR. This should likely be the amount of job or work to be done from the beginning.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Put the time sequence into an equation.
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\n" ); document.write( "This is what you basically want to setup; and then solve it for t.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "(I leave the arithmetic steps for you to do).
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