SOLUTION: SALLY, JIM, AND BOB ARE ALL TYPING A 20 PG REPORT. IT TAKES SALLY 40 MINS, IT TAKES JIM 30 MINS, AND IT TAKES BOB 24 MINS. HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE THEM TO TYPE THE PAPER TOGETHER?

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Question 4817: SALLY, JIM, AND BOB ARE ALL TYPING A 20 PG REPORT. IT TAKES SALLY 40 MINS, IT TAKES JIM 30 MINS, AND IT TAKES BOB 24 MINS. HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE THEM TO TYPE THE PAPER TOGETHER?
Answer by Abbey(339) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
this question doesn't have enough information and can be answered several ways.
Are they typing this paper at the same time? If yes, then it would be the 40 minutes, because Jim and Bob would be done by the time Sally is.
Are they working consecutively (first one types, then the other types then the third types?) If this is so, then add 40+30+24 = 94 minutes.
Are they splitting up the work but if Sally were working alone she would complete the paper in 40 minutes, Jim would do it alone in 20 minutes and if Bob were doing it alone it would be 24 minutes? If this is the case, then
Sally completes 1%2F40 work each minute
Bob completes 1%2F30 each minute
Jim completes 1%2F24 each minute
working together:
1%2F40%2B1%2F30%2B1%2F24 = work completed each minute
Find a common denominator (120), add and reduce:
3%2F120%2B4%2F120%2B5%2F120+=+12%2F120=1%2F10
If they complete 1/10 of the job each minute, the job would be finished in 10 minutes.