SOLUTION: I only need this setup and the find statement, you do not have to solve the problem. A man and his wife usually drink a keg of beer in 12 days. They found by frequent experience

Algebra ->  Rate-of-work-word-problems -> SOLUTION: I only need this setup and the find statement, you do not have to solve the problem. A man and his wife usually drink a keg of beer in 12 days. They found by frequent experience      Log On


   

Question 883606: I only need this setup and the find statement, you do not have to solve the problem.
A man and his wife usually drink a keg of beer in 12 days. They found by frequent experience that when his wife was absent the man drank it in 20 days. In how many days will the wife alone drink it?
Set up: 1 keg of beer in 12 days—man and wife
1 keg of beer in 20 days –man alone
Find the number of days that it take the wife to drink 1 keg of beer alone.
Answer by josgarithmetic(39618) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Keep going! You have descriptions for two rates and almost have them in number symbolism.

Man & Wife, 1%2F12 keg/day
Man alone, 1%2F20 keg/day

The sum of their individual rates is the Man-plus-Wife combined rate. You just do not yet know the wife's rate.

Let w = rate of drinking for the wife alone, keg/day.
highlight%281%2F20%2Bw=1%2F12%29.
Solve for w.
Note that w will be a fraction. Taking the inverse of w will then be the DAYS per 1 KEG drink rate for the wife.