Question 67413

Master Painter can paint 1/M houses per day

Worker1 can paint 1/W1 houses per day
Worker2 can paint 1/W2 houses per day

Now we are told that:

1/M=1/W1+1/W2  First get rid of fractions by multiplying both sides by the LCM which is MW1W2

W1W2(M/M)=MW2(W1/W1)+MW1(W2/W2)  simplifying we get:

W1W2=MW2+MW1 and this equals:

W1W2=M(W1+W2)  divide both sides by (W1+W2)

M=W1W2/(W1+W2)


Hope this helps---ptaylor