SOLUTION: It takes an older computer 3 times as long to send out a company's email as it does a newer computer. Working together, it takes the two computers 12 minutes to send out the email.

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Question 1157967: It takes an older computer 3 times as long to send out a company's email as it does a newer computer. Working together, it takes the two computers 12 minutes to send out the email. How long will it take the older computer to send out the email on its own?
Found 2 solutions by Boreal, greenestamps:
Answer by Boreal(15235) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
one computer takes x minutes and the other takes 3x minutes
in 1 minute, they send (1/x) and (1/3x) of the total message
together, (12/x)+(12/3x)=1, the full message
multiply by 3x to clear fractions
36+12=3x
48=3x
x=16 minutes
3x=48 minutes for the older computer ANSWER
in 12 minutes the newer one does 3/4 of the work and the other 1/4 of the work

Answer by greenestamps(13198) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!


The older computer takes 3 times as long as the newer computer; so when they work together the new computer does 3/4 of the job and the older computer does 1/4.

So in completing the job together in 12 minutes, the older computer does 1/4 of the job.

That means that working alone it would take the older computer 4*12=48 minutes to do the whole job.