SOLUTION: One maid can clean the house three times faster than another. Working together they can clean the entire house in three hours. How long would it take the faster maid cleaning alone

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Question 714063: One maid can clean the house three times faster than another. Working together they can clean the entire house in three hours. How long would it take the faster maid cleaning alone?
Found 2 solutions by nerdybill, Alan3354:
Answer by nerdybill(7384) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
One maid can clean the house three times faster than another. Working together they can clean the entire house in three hours. How long would it take the faster maid cleaning alone?
Let x = time (hours) it takes faster maid
then
3x = time (hours) it takes slower maid
.
3(1/x + 1/(3x)) = 1
3(3 + 1) = 3x
3(4) = 3x
4 hours = x

Answer by Alan3354(69443) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
One maid can clean the house three times faster than another. Working together they can clean the entire house in three hours. How long would it take the faster maid cleaning alone?
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3 times faster means she could clean 3 more houses in the time of the slower maid.
3 more = 4 houses
--> 3 times faster is 4 times as fast.
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t = time of the faster maid
then
4t = time of the slower maid
=============
3(1/t + 1/(4t)) = 1
3(4 + 1) = 4t
3(5) = 4t
t = 15/4 = 3.75 hours for the faster maid working alone.
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3 times faster is not the same as 3 times as fast.
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If something is 1 times faster, it's 100% faster, or 100% greater = 2 times.
1 time faster can't be the same speed (or amount).
50% faster is not half as fast, right?