SOLUTION: two pumps working together can fill a tank in 2 hours. working alone the first pump can fill the tanks in 3 fewer hours than the 2nd pump. how long will it take the second pump to

Algebra ->  Rate-of-work-word-problems -> SOLUTION: two pumps working together can fill a tank in 2 hours. working alone the first pump can fill the tanks in 3 fewer hours than the 2nd pump. how long will it take the second pump to       Log On


   



Question 1005953: two pumps working together can fill a tank in 2 hours. working alone the first pump can fill the tanks in 3 fewer hours than the 2nd pump. how long will it take the second pump to fill the tank?
Answer by fractalier(6550) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Call the slower pump's time, t.
The faster pump can do it in t-3.
The set up looks like this
2/t + 2/t-3 = 1
Multiply by t(t-3) and get
2(t-3) + 2t = t(t-3)
2t - 6 + 2t = t^2 - 3t
Collecting like terms, then factor and solve...
t^2 - 7t + 6 = 0
(t - 6)(t - 1) = 0
t = 6 or t = 1
but t cannot be one, so
the slower pump takes 6 hours and the faster takes 3 hours.