SOLUTION: Mike, Joe and Bill are painting a fence. The painting can be finished if Mike and Joe work together for 4 hours and Bill works alone for 2 hours, or if Mike and Joe work together f

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Question 499228: Mike, Joe and Bill are painting a fence. The painting can be finished if Mike and Joe work together for 4 hours and Bill works alone for 2 hours, or if Mike and Joe work together for 2 hours and Bill works alone for 5 hours, or if Mike works alone for 6 hours, Joe works alone for 2 hours and Bill works alone for 1 hour. How much time does it take each man working alone to complete the painting.
Answer by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740) About Me  (Show Source):
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Mike, Joe and Bill are painting a fence.
The painting can be finished if Mike and Joe work together for 4 hours and Bill works alone for 2 hours, or if Mike and Joe work together for 2 hours and Bill works alone for 5 hours, or if Mike works alone for 6 hours, Joe works alone for 2 hours and Bill works alone for 1 hour.
How much time does it take each man working alone to complete the painting.
:
Write an equation for each scenario, let the completed job = 1
:
The painting can be finished if Mike and Joe work together for 4 hours and Bill works alone for 2 hours,"
4%2Fm + 4%2Fj + 2%2Fb = 1
:
"if Mike and Joe work together for 2 hours and Bill works alone for 5 hours,"
2%2Fm + 2%2Fj + 5%2Fb = 1
:
"if Mike works alone for 6 hours, Joe works alone for 2 hours and Bill works alone for 1 hour."
6%2Fm + 2%2Fj + 1%2Fb = 1
:
We are going to use elimination here multiply the 2nd eq by 2, subtract the 1st equation
4%2Fm + 4%2Fj + 10%2Fb = 2
4%2Fm + 4%2Fj + 2%2Fb = 1
---------------------------------------subtraction eliminates m and j, find b
8%2Fb = 1
b = 8 hrs for Bill alone
:
In the 2nd equation replace b with 8
2%2Fm + 2%2Fj + 5%2F8 = 1
2%2Fm + 2%2Fj = 1 - 5%2F8
2%2Fm + 2%2Fj = 3%2F8
Do the same with the 3rd equation
6%2Fm + 2%2Fj + 1%2F8 = 1
6%2Fm + 2%2Fj = 7%2F8
use these two equation for elimination
6%2Fm + 2%2Fj + 7%2F8
2%2Fm + 2%2Fj + 3%2F8
----------------------------------Subtraction eliminates j, find m
4%2Fm = 4%2F8
m = 8 hrs for Mike alone
:
find j using eq:2%2Fm + 2%2Fj = 3%2F8, replace m with 8
2%2F8 + 2%2Fj = 3%2F8
2%2Fj = 3%2F8 - 2%2F8
2%2Fj = 1%2F8
Cross multiply
j = 2*8
j = 16 hrs for Joe alone
:
to do the job alone: m = 8 hrs, j = 16 hrs, b = 8hrs
:
:
Confirm this in the 1st equation
4%2F8 + 4%2F16 + 2%2F8 = 1
which is
4%2F8 + 2%2F8 + 2%2F8 = 1