SOLUTION: Hey! If anyone could help me with this problem I would enjoy it! Problem goes as.. Stefan can clean an attic in 16 hours. Ryan can clean the same attic in 10 hours. Find how

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Question 781615: Hey! If anyone could help me with this problem I would enjoy it!
Problem goes as..
Stefan can clean an attic in 16 hours. Ryan can clean the same attic in 10 hours. Find how long it would take them if they worked together?
I'm not as good with word problems. But I am getting a bit better. But this question I'm not really positive on how to set it up. If anyone could help me. Again I would really appreciate it! Kudos!

Found 2 solutions by solver91311, ankor@dixie-net.com:
Answer by solver91311(24713) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!

If A can do a job in x time periods, then A can do of the job in 1 time period. Likewise, if B can do the same job in y time periods, then B can do of the job in 1 time period.

So, working together, they can do

of the job in 1 time period.

Therefore, they can do the whole job in:

time periods.

John

Egw to Beta kai to Sigma
My calculator said it, I believe it, that settles it

Answer by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Stefan can clean an attic in 16 hours.
Ryan can clean the same attic in 10 hours.
Find how long it would take them if they worked together?
:
Here is an easy way to do these "shared work" problems
:
let t = time required to complete the job when they work together
:
let the completed job = 1, (a cleaned attic)
Each will do a fraction of the job, the two fractions add up to 1
:
+ = 1
multiply by the least common multiple of 16 and 10, that's 80
80* + 80* = 80*1
cancel the denominators and you have
5t + 8t = 80
13t = 80
t = 80/13
t = 6.154 hrs working together
:
:
Check this on your calc
6.154/16 + 6.154/10
.385 + .615 = 1; confirms our solution of t = 6.154 hrs