Problema Solution
Two pumps can fill a water tank in 432minutes when working together. Alone, the second pump takes 8times as long as the first to fill the tank.
How many minutes would it take the first pump to fill the tank?
Answer provided by our tutors
let
x = minutes the first pump needs to fill the tank alone, x>0
8x = minutes the second pump needs to fill the tank alone (8 times as long as the first)
the rate of the first pump is: 1/8 tank per min
the rate of the second pump is: 1/(8x) tank per min
Two pumps can fill a water tank in 432 minutes when working together thus the together rate is 1/432 tank per min
1/x + 1/(8x) = 1/432
by solving we find:
x = 486 min
click here to see the step by step solution of the equation:
the first pump will need 486 minutes to fill the tank alone.