SOLUTION: It takes 36 days for 27 people, who are all working together at the same rate, to build a house. How long would it take 9 people to build the house?

Algebra ->  Coordinate Systems and Linear Equations  -> Linear Equations and Systems Word Problems -> SOLUTION: It takes 36 days for 27 people, who are all working together at the same rate, to build a house. How long would it take 9 people to build the house?      Log On


   

Question 707592: It takes 36 days for 27 people, who are all working together at the same rate, to build a house. How long would it take 9 people to build the house?
Found 2 solutions by vheroli, josgarithmetic:
Answer by vheroli(126) About Me  (Show Source):
Answer by josgarithmetic(39618) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Just thinking intuitively about this, I see cutting the workforce to one-third the size, should take three times longer. 108 days.

The idea is rates of every worker to be additive. A certain rate using 9 workers; three times that rate if 27 workers.

Group of 27_________1/36___________36__________1
Group of 9__________(1/36)/3_______(d)_________1

%28d%29=1%2F%28%281%2F36%29%2F36%29 days
that may look messy, hard to read, but is ONE divided by the rate of "one over thirtysix divided by 3".