Problema Solution

Working together, two pumps can drain a certain pool in hours. If it takes the older pump hours to drain the pool by itself, how long will it take the newer pump to drain the pool on its own?

Answer provided by our tutors

lets


t hours by the time needed when the 2 pumps are working together thus their rate is 1 pool in t hours or


1/t pools per hour


o hours the time the older pump needs to drain the pool by itself thus its rate is 1 pool in o hours or


1/o pools per hour


n = ? the time the newer pump needs to drain the pool by itself has a rate 1 pool in n hours or


1/n pools per hour


now we can write


1/o + 1/n = 1/t


1/n = 1/t - 1/o


n = 1/(1/t - 1/o)


n = (t*o)/(o - t) hours


new newer pump will need (t*o)/(o - t) hours to drain the pool on its own.