SOLUTION: An experienced accountant can balance the books twice as fast as a new accountant. Working together it takes the accountants 6 hours. How long would it take the experienced account

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Question 517203: An experienced accountant can balance the books twice as fast as a new accountant. Working together it takes the accountants 6 hours. How long would it take the experienced accountant working alone?
Found 2 solutions by stanbon, solver91311:
Answer by stanbon(75887) (Show Source):
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An experienced accountant can balance the books twice as fast as a new accountant. Working together it takes the accountants 6 hours. How long would it take the experienced accountant working alone?
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New accountant time: 2x hrs ; rate = 1/(2x) job/hr
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Experienced Account: time = x hrs ; rate = 1/x job/hr
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Together : time = 6 hrs/job ; rate = 1/6 job/hr
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Equation:
rate + rate = together rate
1/(2x) + 1/x = 1/6
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Multiply thru by 12x to get:
6 + 12 = 2x
2x = 18
x = 9 hrs (time for the experienced accountant to do the job)
2x = 18 hrs (time for the new accountant to do the job)
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Cheers,
Stan H.
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Answer by solver91311(24713) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!

If represents the amount of time taken by Mr. Fernwell working alone, then this is half as much time as , the amount of time taken by Nurlmann working alone. Since working together they take 6 hours, we note that they can do of the job in one hour. Further, working alone, Mr. Fernwell can do one of the job in one hour while Nurlmann would do only of the job in one hour. So:

Solve for

John

My calculator said it, I believe it, that settles it