Question 864629
The quick agent does a job three times faster than a regular agent.  The regular agent can do a job himself in 40 minutes.  What would be the work rate for both agents working at the same time on the job?


Use rates as JOBS per MINUTES.
Quick agent, .... Look at the regular agent first.
Regular Agent, {{{1/40}}} jobs per minute.
Quick Agent, {{{3(1/40)}}} jobs per minute; shown this way because "three times faster...".


Quick And Regular Agents together, SUM OF THEIR INDIVIDUAL RATES.
{{{1/40+3(1/40)}}} JOBS per MINUTE.
{{{(1+3)/40}}}
{{{4/40}}}
{{{1/10}}}, ONE JOB IN TEN MINUTES.


You can take the reciprocal and say, "ten minutes needed for both agents together to do one job".