>>...A machine caps a 1000 bottles in 10 minutes,...<< 
So the slower machine's bottle capping rate is 1000 bottles 
per 10 minutes or
 =
 = 
 = 100
 = 100 
another machine caps 1000 bottles in 8 minutes.
So the faster machine's bottle capping rate is 1000 bottles 
per 8 minutes or
 =
 = 
 = 125
 = 125 
>>...If these machines were together how much time will it take to cap 1000 bottles?...<<
Let that time be x minutes
So their combined bottle capping rate is 1000 bottles 
per x minutes or
 =
 = 
 The equation comes from:
The equation comes from:
            



 100
                100 + 125
 + 125

 100 + 125 =
                           100 + 125 =  225 =
                                 225 =  225x = 1000
                                   x =
                                225x = 1000
                                   x =  x =
                                   x =  minutes
----------------------------------------------------------------
 minutes
----------------------------------------------------------------
b) if t1 and t2 are the time in the above problem. Determine the time taken by both machines working together?   
>>...A machine caps a 1000 bottles in t1 minutes,...<< 
So the slower machine's bottle capping rate is 1000 bottles 
per t1 minutes or
 =
 = 
 
>>...another machine caps 1000 bottles in t2 minutes...<<
So the faster machine's bottle capping rate is 1000 bottles 
per t2 minutes or
 =
 = 
 
>>...If these machines were together how much time will it take to cap 1000 bottles?...<<
Let that time be x minutes
So their combined bottle capping rate is 1000 bottles 
per x minutes or
 =
 = 
 The equation comes from:
The equation comes from:
            



 
                
 +
 + 
 =
 = 
 
                            +
 +  =
 =  The LCD is t1t2x
                           1000t2x + 1000t1x = 1000t1t2
                 
Divide through by 1000
                                   t2x + t1x = t1t2
Factor out x on left
              
                                  x(t2 + t1) = t1t2
Divide both sides by (t2 + t1)
The LCD is t1t2x
                           1000t2x + 1000t1x = 1000t1t2
                 
Divide through by 1000
                                   t2x + t1x = t1t2
Factor out x on left
              
                                  x(t2 + t1) = t1t2
Divide both sides by (t2 + t1)
                                     =
 =  
                                     =
 =  x =
                                     x =  minutes 
 
That's the answer.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------  
So the formula is "the product of the times over the sum of the times":
We could have used that formula to solve (a) if we had had it, with
t1 = 10 and t2 = 8
                                     x =
 minutes 
 
That's the answer.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------  
So the formula is "the product of the times over the sum of the times":
We could have used that formula to solve (a) if we had had it, with
t1 = 10 and t2 = 8
                                     x =  x =
                                     x =  x =
                                     x =  x =
                                     x =  minutes  
Edwin
minutes  
Edwin