Work Problems:

In work problems, the amount of work done by the two workers is best illustrated by
the following relationship:
(amount of work done by A) + (Amount of work done by B) = (Amount of work
done together)
Example1: Rey can finish painting a house in twenty hours while Danny can finish
the same work in 30 hours. How long will the job take if both men work together?
Let x represent the number of hours it will take Rey and Danny to finish the job
together.
Time to finish the work
alone
Jose 20 hours
Danny 30 hours

Working Equation:

Solution:

No. of hours to finish the

work
x
x

Fractional part
x/20
x/30

x
x

1
20 30

x
x
60

1 60
20 30
3 x 2 x 60

5 x 60
60
x
5
x 12hours
Therefore it takes 12 hours for Rey and Danny to finish the work.

2. Jose can do a certain task in 3 days. Pedro can do the same task in 6 days. How
many days will be required to do the task if they work together?
Let x be the number of days required to do the task working together
1/3 be the part of the task finished in 1 day by Jose
1/6 be the part of the task finished in 1 day by Pedro

1/x be the part of the task finished in 1 day by the two of them
The part of the task finished in 1 day by Jose plus the part finished by Pedro in 1 day
equals the part finished in 1 day by the two.

Working equation:

1 1 1

3 6 x

1 1 1
6
3 6 x

6 x
Solution:

2x x 6
3x 6
x2
Therefore it will take 2 days for Jose and Pedro to finish the task together.