document.write( "Question 1189847: Four survivors in a lifeboat have enough water for 12 days. Calculate how long the water would have lasted if there had been six people on the the lifeboat. \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #821334 by Theo(13342)\"\" \"About 
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4 survivors have enough water to last 12 days.
\n" ); document.write( "inverse variation formula is y = k/x
\n" ); document.write( "if y = 12 and x = 4, then 12 = k/4 leading to k = 48.
\n" ); document.write( "when x = 6, the formula becomes:
\n" ); document.write( "y = 48/6 = 8,
\n" ); document.write( "if the water would have lasted 12 days with 4 people, then the water will last 8 days with 6 people.
\n" ); document.write( "that should be your answer.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "you can also look at this as a people * rate * time = quantity type problem.
\n" ); document.write( "the time is 12 days.
\n" ); document.write( "the quantity is q liters of water.
\n" ); document.write( "the number of people is 4.
\n" ); document.write( "the formula becomes:
\n" ); document.write( "4 * r * 12 = q
\n" ); document.write( "r is equal to the rate that each person consumes water.
\n" ); document.write( "solve for r to get:
\n" ); document.write( "r = q / (12 * 4)
\n" ); document.write( "this becomes:
\n" ); document.write( "r = q / 48
\n" ); document.write( "this says that each person consumes 1/48 * the quantity of water each day.
\n" ); document.write( "the formula for 4 poeple becomes:
\n" ); document.write( "4 * q/48 * 12 = q
\n" ); document.write( "when the number of people is 6, the formula becomes:
\n" ); document.write( "6 * q/48 * t = q
\n" ); document.write( "t is the time in days.
\n" ); document.write( "6 * q/48 * t = q becomes:
\n" ); document.write( "6/48 * q * t = q
\n" ); document.write( "divide both sides of the eqution by q to get:
\n" ); document.write( "6/48 * t = 1
\n" ); document.write( "solve for t to get:
\n" ); document.write( "t = 48/6 which becomes:
\n" ); document.write( "t = 8.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "you get 8 days with 6 people either way.
\n" ); document.write( "that appears to be your solution.
\n" ); document.write( "i'll be surprised if it isn't.\r
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