SOLUTION: Ron and Sam take 1 hour to paint 7/12 of the living room. Sam and Tom take 1 hour to paint 8/15 of the living room. Ron and Tom take 1 hour to paint 9/20 of the living room. How lo

Algebra ->  Percentage-and-ratio-word-problems -> SOLUTION: Ron and Sam take 1 hour to paint 7/12 of the living room. Sam and Tom take 1 hour to paint 8/15 of the living room. Ron and Tom take 1 hour to paint 9/20 of the living room. How lo      Log On


   



Question 1184062: Ron and Sam take 1 hour to paint 7/12 of the living room. Sam and Tom take 1 hour to paint 8/15 of the living room. Ron and Tom take 1 hour to paint 9/20 of the living room. How long will it take for Ron, Sam and Rom to paint the living room together?
Answer by ikleyn(52921) About Me  (Show Source):
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Ron and Sam take 1 hour to paint 7/12 of the living room.
Sam and Tom take 1 hour to paint 8/15 of the living room.
Ron and Tom take 1 hour to paint 9/20 of the living room.
How long will it take for Ron, Sam and Rom to paint the living room together?
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Let r be the Ron's rate of work (in parts of the living room per hour);

    s be the Sam's rate of work,  and

    t be the Tom's rate of work.


From the condition, we have  


    r + s = 7/12     (1)

    s + t = 8/15     (2)

    r + t = 9/20     (3)


Add the equations (1), (2) and (3). You will get

    
    2(r + s + t) = 7%2F12+%2B+8%2F15+%2B+9%2F20 = 35%2F60+%2B+32%2F60+%2B+27%2F60 = 94/60.

Hence,

     r + s + t = 47/60.


It means that Ron, Sam and Tom will complete painting the room in  60%2F47 hours = 1 13%2F47 hours.    ANSWER

Solved.