SOLUTION: A chemistry experiment requires that a vacuum be created in a chamber. A small vacuum pump requires 15 seconds to evacuate the chamber. Working together, the chamber can be evacuat

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Question 1033132: A chemistry experiment requires that a vacuum be created in a chamber. A small vacuum pump requires 15 seconds to evacuate the chamber. Working together, the chamber can be evacuated in 4 sec. Find the time required for the larger vacuum pump working alone to evacuate the chamber.
Found 3 solutions by fractalier, ikleyn, MathTherapy:
Answer by fractalier(6550) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
The set up is like this:
t%2FA+%2B+t%2FB+=+1
where A and B are the times working alone and t is the time working together...thus we have
4%2F15+%2B+4%2FB+=+1
Multiply by 15B and get
4B+%2B+60+=+15B
11B+=+60
and
B+=+60%2F11 hours

Answer by ikleyn(52813) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
.
A chemistry experiment requires that a vacuum be created in a chamber. A small vacuum pump requires 15 seconds to evacuate the chamber.
Working together, the chamber can be evacuated in 4 sec.
Find the time required for the larger vacuum pump working alone to evacuate the chamber.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The set up is like this:
t%2FA+%2B+t%2FB+=+1
where A and B are the times working alone and t is the time working together...thus we have
t%2F15+%2B+t%2F4+=+1
Multiply by 60 and get
4t+%2B+15t+=+60
19t+=+60
and
t+=+60%2F19 = 33%2F19 seconds.

Answer. 33%2F19 seconds.

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Answer by MathTherapy(10555) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!

A chemistry experiment requires that a vacuum be created in a chamber. A small vacuum pump requires 15 seconds to evacuate the chamber. Working together, the chamber can be evacuated in 4 sec. Find the time required for the larger vacuum pump working alone to evacuate the chamber.
With larger taking L seconds, we get:
1%2F15+%2B+1%2FL+=+1%2F4
4L + 60 = 15L ------- Multiplying by LCD, 60L
4L - 15L = - 60
- 11L = - 60
L, or time larger takes, alone = %28-+60%29%2F%28-+11%29, or highlight_green%28matrix%281%2C2%2C+5%265%2F11%2C+seconds%29%29