SOLUTION: 3 workers can do a job in 36 days. How long would it take 2 workers to finish the same job?

Algebra ->  Rate-of-work-word-problems -> SOLUTION: 3 workers can do a job in 36 days. How long would it take 2 workers to finish the same job?       Log On


   



Question 971884: 3 workers can do a job in 36 days. How long would it take 2 workers to finish the same job?
Found 2 solutions by macston, Edwin McCravy:
Answer by macston(5194) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
3 men x 36 days=108 man days
108 man days/2 men=54 days
ANSWER: It would take 2 men 54 days to do the job.

Answer by Edwin McCravy(20060) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
3 workers can do a job in 36 days. How long would it take 2 workers to finish
the same job?

Here's an easier way, at least an easier way to REMEMBER how to do
ALL proportion problems, using common sense:

Common sense tells us that the answer is going to be MORE than 36 days,
because it takes less workers longer.

Take the two given quantities that CORRESPOND, namely 3 workers and 2 workers.

Put one over the other so that the fraction will be MORE than 1.
That fraction is 3/2 

            [it's not 2/3 because 2/3 would be LESS than 1].

So multiply 36 days by 3%2F2 and get 54 days.

[Note: In other proportional problems when common sense tells us that the answer will
be LESS than the other, we make the fraction of the given corresponding quantities
so that it will be LESS than 1.]

Edwin