Question 240503
If three pipes are all opened, they can fill an empty swimming pool in 3 hours.
 The largest pipe alone takes 1/3 the time that the smallest pipe takes and half the time the other pipe takes.
 How long would it take each pipe to fill the pool by itself?
:
To avoid those annoying fractions, do it like this
:
Let t = time required by the largest pipe alone
then
3t = time of the smallest
and
2t = time of the other pipe
:
Let the completed job = 1 (a full pool)
:
{{{3/t}}} + {{{3/(3t)}}} + {{{3/(2t)}}} = 1
multiply by 6t, results
6(3) + 2(3) + 3(3) = 6t
:
18 + 6 + 9 = 6t
:
33 = 6t
t = {{{33/6}}}
t - 5.5 hrs time of the largest pipe alone
then
3(5.5) = 16.5 hrs time of the smallest pipe
and
2(5.5) = 11 hrs time of the other pipe
:
:
Check solution in the original equation, using a calc:
{{{3/5.5}}} + {{{3/(16.5)}}} + {{{3/(11)}}} = 
.545 + .182 + .273 = .9997 ~ 1