Time, Men & Work

QUANTITATIVE APTITUDE
Popular types of questions

• Time taken to do a certain job by a certain number of workers.

• The change in the number of hours required to do a job if the number of workers is changed.
• The number of hours required to do the same job by different workers if their speeds are
different.
• Problems on wages earned by various workers executing a certain work in proportion with the
amount of work done by each worker.
• Work done by various people in alternate intervals.
• Time taken by pipes/ taps/ leakages to fill/ empty tanks/ cisterns etc.

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 • If A can do a piece of work in ‘n’ days, then the amount of
1
work done by A in one day is .
𝑛

Key Concept 1
• If A’s 1 day's work = , then A can finish the work in ‘n’
𝑛
days.

Q . If 24 men can finish a work in 10 days, then find the number of days
required to complete the same work by 30 men ?

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Lesson 1 (Chain Rule)

Formula 1
𝑃1 𝐻1 𝐷1 𝑃2 𝐻2 𝐷2
=
𝑊1 𝑊2
Where,
𝑃 = 𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛𝑠
𝐻 = 𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠
𝐷 = 𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠
𝑊 = 𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑑𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛

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Lesson 1(Chain Rule)

Formula 2
𝑃1 𝐻1 𝐷1 = 𝑃2 𝐻2 𝐷2
Where,
𝑃 = 𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛𝑠
𝐻 = 𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠
𝐷 = 𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠

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Example 1
❖15 men can type 3240 pages in 6 days working 2 hours per day. How many men would be
required to type 5400 pages working 4 hours per day for 3 days?

Solution:
𝑃1 = 15; 𝑊1 = 3240; 𝐻1 = 2; 𝐷1 = 6
𝑃2 =? ; 𝑊2 = 5400; 𝐻2 = 4; 𝐷2 = 3
We have
𝑃1 𝐻1 𝐷1 𝑃2 𝐻2 𝐷2
=
𝑊1 𝑊2

15 × 2 × 6 𝑥×4×3
=
3240 5400
135 × 15
𝑥= = 25 6
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Example 2
❖If 72 men can build a wall of 280m length in 21 days, how many men could take 18 days to
build a similar type of wall of length 100m?
Solution:
𝑃1 = 72; 𝑊1 = 280; 𝐷1 = 21
𝑃2 =? ; 𝑊2 = 100; 𝐷2 = 18
We have
𝑃1 𝐷1 𝑃2 𝐷2
=
𝑊1 𝑊2

72 × 21 𝑥 × 18
=
280 100
𝑥 = 6 x 5 = 30
Number of person required = 30
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Example 3
❖39 persons can repair a road in 12 days working 5 hours a day. In how many days will 30
persons working 6 hours a day complete the work?
Solution
𝑃1 = 39; 𝐻1 = 5; 𝐷1 = 12
𝑃2 = 30; 𝐻2 = 6; 𝐷2 =?
We have
𝑃1 𝐻1 𝐷1 = 𝑃2 𝐻2 𝐷2
39 × 5 × 12 = 30 × 6 × 𝑥
𝑥 = 13
Required days = 13

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LCM Method
❖A can do a piece of work in 8 days. B can do the same in 14 days. In how many days can the
work be completed if A and B work together?
Solution:
L.C.M of (8, 14) is 56.
Therefore, the total work is 56 units.
A can do = 56/8 = 7 units/day
B can do = 56/14 = 4 units/day
(A + B) can do = 11 units per day
So, no. of days taken by (A + B) to complete the same work is
= 56/11 days

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LCM Method
❖A and B together can do a piece of work in 12 days and A alone can complete the work in 21
days. How long will B alone to complete the same work?
Solution:
L.C.M of (12, 21) = 84.
Total work = 84 units.
A can do = 84/21 = 4 units/day
(A + B) can do = 84/12 = 7 units/day
B can do = (A + B) - A = 7 - 4 = 3 units/day
So, no. of days taken by B alone to complete the same work is = 84/3= 28 days

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LCM Method
❖A & B working separately can do piece of work in 9 days and 12 days respectively. If they
work for a day alternatively. A beginning, in how many days, the work will be completed?
Solution:
LCM ( 9,12) = 36
So, Total work = 36 units
A completes in 9 days and B completes in 12 days independently.
1 day work of :
A = 4 units
B = 3 units
Total 2 days of work is 7 units.
7 x 5 = 35. So in 10 days 35 units of work completed.
Work left =1 unit
For A, 4 units → 1 day
1 unit → ¼ day
Total time = (10 + ¼) = 10.25 days. 11
LCM Method
❖A and B together can do a piece of work in 110 days. B and C can do it in 99 days. C and A can do
the same work in 90 days. How long would each take to complete the work?

Solution: (4) - (1) ----> (A + B + C) - (A + B) = 15 - 9 = 6 units

L.C.M of (110, 99, 90) is 990.
Total work = 990 units.
A + B = 990/110 = 9 units/day ---->(1)
B + C = 990/99 = 10 units/day ---->(2)
A + C = 990/90 = 11 units/day ---->(3)
By adding (1), (2) & (3), we get,
2A + 2B + 2C = 30 units/day
2(A + B + C) = 30 units/day
A + B + C = 15 units/day ---->(4)
C can do = 6 units/day
C will take = 990/6 = 165 days
(4) - (2) ----> (A + B + C) - (B + C) = 15 - 10 = 5 units
A can do = 5 units/day
A will take = 990/5 = 198 days
(4) - (3) ----> (A + B + C) - (A + C) = 15 - 11 = 4 units
Therefore B can do 4 units per day.
So, the number of days taken by B to complete the
work is= 990/4= 247.5 days
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Lesson 2 (Based on Efficiency)

• A is two times efficient than B:

If A completes a work in ‘x’ days then B completes the work in ‘2x’ days.

• A is thrice efficient than B:

If A completes a work in ‘x’ days, then B completes the work in ‘3x’ days.

• A is four times efficient than B:

If A completes a work in ‘x’ days, then B completes the work in ‘4x’ days.

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Lesson 2 (Based on Efficiency)

• If efficiency of A is x% more than the efficiency of B and B takes D days to complete the work,

𝐷
then A will take × 100 days to complete the work.
100+𝑥

• If efficiency of A is x% less than the efficiency of B and B takes D days to complete the work,

𝐷
then A will take × 100 days to complete the work.
100−𝑥

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Example 4
❖A is twice as good as workman as B and B is twice as good as workman C. If A & B can
together finish a piece of work in 4 days, then C can do it by himself in
Solution
Let x be the days worked by A.
Then 2x and 4x days for B & C respectively.
1
Also, 𝐴 + 𝐵 =
4
1 1 1
+ =
𝑥 2𝑥 4
2+1 1
=
2𝑥 4
𝑥=6
Work done by C = 4x = 4 x 6 = 24
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 ❖ A & B together can do a work in 12 days. B & C can do it in 15 days. If
A’s efficiency is twice that of C, then the days required for B alone to
finish the work is
Solution:
1
𝐴+𝐵 = ……. 1
12
1
𝐵+𝐶 = ……. 2
15
If A completes a work in ‘x’ days then C completes the work in 2x days.
Subtracting (1) - (2)
Example 5 𝐴−𝐶 =
1
60
We can substitute for x
1 1 1
− =
𝑥 2𝑥 60
𝑥 = 30 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠 i.e., A takes 30 days to complete a work.
Substituting in 1
1 1
+𝐵 =
30 12
1
𝐵=
20
i.e., B alone takes 20 days to complete the work. 16
 ❖To complete a work , A takes 50% more time than B. if
together they take 18 days to complete the work, how much
time shall B take to do it?
Solution:
1
A+B=
18
A takes 50 % more time than B. If B takes ‘x’ then A
takes x + 50% of x.

Example 6 A B
𝑥 + 50% 𝑜𝑓 𝑥 𝑥
𝑥 + 50ൗ100 × 𝑥 𝑥

𝑥 + 1ൗ2 𝑥 𝑥

3𝑥 2𝑥

1 1 1
+ 2𝑥 = 18
3𝑥
17
X = 15; B = 2x = 30 days
Lesson 3: Work & Wages

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3

Work done on 1 day Find the ratio Find the share

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Example 7
❖A, B and C can do a work in 3, 4 and 6 days respectively. Doing that work together they get
an amount of Rs 450. What is the share of B in that amount?
Solution:
1
A’s one day work =
3
1
B’s one day work =
4
1
C’s One day work =
6
1 1 1
𝐴′ 𝑠 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑒: 𝐵′ 𝑠 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑒 ∶ 𝐶′𝑠 𝑆ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑒 = : : = 4: 3: 2
3 4 6
450
B’s share = × 3 = 150
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Example 8
❖Daily wages of men are 500% those of women. Two groups of 22 women earns Rs 29568
while working for 8 weeks. Some men work on a similar project for 2 days less than 7 weeks
and earn Rs 16920. How many men worked on the project?
Solution:
Men’s wage are 500% of women = men’s wages are 5 times that of women.
Two groups of 22 women means total 44 women
8 weeks = 56 days
2 days less than 7 weeks = 47 days.
29568
1-day wages of 44 women =
56
29568
1 day wage of 1 woman = = 12/−
56×44
1 day wage 1 man = 5 x 12 = 60/-
Using above concept,
16920
1 day wage of 1 man = = 60
47 ×𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑒𝑛
16920
Number of men = = 6 men 20
47 ×60
Lesson 4: Pipes & Cisterns
𝟏
• If a pipe can fill a tank in 𝒙 hours, then part filled in one hour =
𝒙
1
• If a pipe can empty a tank in 𝑦 hours, then part emptied in one hour = .
𝑦
• If pipe A can fill a tank in 𝑥 hours, Pipe B can empty the full tank in 𝑦 hours (where y > x).
1 1 𝑥𝑦
Then, on opening both the pipes, the net part filled in one hour= − OR hours.
𝑥 𝑦 𝑦−𝑥
• If pipe A can fill a tank in x hours. Pipe B can empty the full tank in y hours (where x > y). Then, on
1 1 𝑥𝑦
opening both the pipes, the net part filled in one hour = 𝑦 − 𝑥 OR 𝑥−𝑦 hours.
• If pipe A can empty a tank in X hours. Pipe B can empty the same tank in Y hours. Then part of the tank
1 1
emptied in one hour when both the pipes start working together = +
𝑥 𝑦

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 Example 9

❖Two pipes A and B can fill a tank in 5 and 6 hours, respectively. If both the pipes are opened
simultaneously, how much time will be taken to fill the tank?
Solution:
1
Part of tank filled by pipe A =
5
1
Part of tank filled by pipe B =
6
1 1 11
Together they take = + =
5 6 30
30
Pipes A & B can fill the tank in hours.
11

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 Example 10
❖There are two pipe A and B connected to a tank. The tank can be filled in 6 minutes, if pipe A takes
5 minutes less than pipe B, How much time will pipe B take if it is alone filling the tank.
Solution:
Time taken by Pipe A to fill the tank = x minutes
Therefore, pipe B will fill the bucket in (x+5) minutes.
1 1 1
Now, when both the pipes are filling the tank = + =
𝑥 𝑥+5 6

On solving we get, x = 10
So, pipe A can fill in 10 minutes and pipe B can fill the bucket in (x+5)= 10+ 5 =15 mins.

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 ❖ A pond can be filled by two pipes P1 and P2. P1 takes 3 hours and P2
takes 5 hours. There is another pipe P3 attached to the pond which can
empty the pond in 7 hours. If all the pipes are opened at the same time,
then in how much time will the empty pond be fully filled?
Solution:
Time taken by Pipe P1 to fill the tank = 3 hr
Time taken by pipe P2 to fill the tank = 5 hr
Example 11 Time taken by pipe P3 to empty the tank = 7 hr
1 1
Therefore, pipe P1 and P2 fills 3 th and 5th part of the pond in 1
hour, respectively.
1
Part of the pond emptied in 1 hour by pipe P3 = 7
1 1 1 41
Therefore, in 1 hour part of the pond filled is = 3 + 5 − 7 = 105
105
Therefore, tank will be filled completely in hrs
41

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 Quiz
1. A can do a work in 15 days and B in 20 days. If they work on it together for 4 days, then the fraction of the
work that is left is :
a) 1/4 b) 1/10 c) 7/15 d) 8/15

2. A is thrice as good as workman as B and therefore is able to finish a job in 60 days less than B. Working
together, they can do it in:
a) 20 days b) 22(1/2) days c) 25 days d) 30 days

3. A alone can do a piece of work in 6 days and B alone in 8 days. A and B undertook to do it for Rs. 3200. With
the help of C, they completed the work in 3 days. How much is to be paid to C?
a) 375 b) 400 c) 600 d)800

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Quiz
4. Daku and Tamatar can do a piece of work in 70 and 60 days respectively. They began the work together, but
Daku leaves after some days and Tamatar finished the remaining work in 47 days. After how many days did
Daku leave?
a) 7 days b) 10 days c) 14 days d) 16 days

5. A and B can complete a work in 15 days and 10 days respectively. They started doing the work together but
after 2 days B had to leave, and A alone completed the remaining work. The whole work was completed in :
a) 8 days b) 10 days c) 12 days d) 15 days

6. A works twice as fast as B. If B can complete a work in 12 days independently, the number of days in which A
and B can together finish the work in :
a) 4 days b) 6 days c) 8 days d) 18 days

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 Quiz
7. There are two pipes, Pipe M and Pipe N. They can fill a container respectively in 9 hours and 3 hours. Both
Pipe M and Pipe N are opened alternatively in every hour and pipe N is started after pipe M. Identify in how
many hours the container will be overflowed?
a) 7 hours b) 5 hours c) 4 hours d) 6 hours

8. Due to an open outlet pipe a tank will tank 4 hours more to be filled. Normally it takes 8 hours to completely
fill. How many hours the outlet pipe will take to empty the full tank?
a) 20 hours b) 24 hours c) 18 hours d) 19 hours

9. P and Q begin with the assignment and finish a particular part of the work. R works alone on the remaining 3/5
of the project. They are paid a total of 640 Rs for the complete work. What should be R's share in the earnings?

a) 256 b) 340 c) 384 d) 420

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Thank You

Gowry S Kumar
CIR

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