Problema Solution

One pump can drain a pool in 8 minutes. When a second pump is also used, the pool only takes 3 minutes to drain. How long would it take the second pool to drain if it were the only pump in use.

Answer provided by our tutors

One pump can drain a pool in 8 minutes this it can dry 1/8 pools per min


lets assume that the second pump needs x minutes to drain the pool alone thus it can drain 1/x pools per min


together they drain the pool in 3 min or 1/3 pools per min


1/8 + 1/x = 1/3


by solving we find:


x = 4.8 min


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the second pump needs 4.8 minutes to drain the pool alone.