Work & Time

Q1) A can do a piece of work in 20 days. He works at it for 8

days and then B finishes it in 6 more days. In how many days
will A and B together finish the work?

Solution:

As A can do the piece of work in 20 days, therefore in 8

days, the amount of work done by A would be computed as:

8
¿
20
=0.4 that is 40% of the work is done in that time.

Now next B does the 60% of the work in 6 days, therefore B

takes a total of 10 days to complete the work.

Therefore AB together can complete the work in n days such

that:

1 1 1
= +
AB 10 20

20
AB= days
3

Therefore A and B together can complete the work in

20/3 days.

Q2) P and Q can do a piece of work in 10 days together. Q

and R together can do the same piece of work in 15 days
while P and R can complete the work in 25 days. Let the
number of days taken by all 3 of them to complete the work
together be p/q where p and q are co-prime numbers. Then
find the value of p + q.

Solution:

We are given here that:

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
+ = + = (
+ = 2 + + = + + )
P Q 10 Q R 15 R P 25 P Q R 10 15 25
1 1 1 15+10+6 31
+ + = =
P Q R 300 300

Therefore all 3 together can do the piece of work in

300/31 days. Therefore the required value of p + q here
is 331.

Q3) A and B can do a piece of work together in 8 days. They

both started to do the work together but B left after a
couple of days after which A completed the work. It took 3
days extra to complete the required work than previously
scheduled had they both worked on the work. Find the
number of days in which B alone can complete the piece of
work.

Solution:

From the given conditions, we have here:

1 1 1
+ = A alone does the remaining 75% of the work in 6 + 3 =
A B 8
9 days.
Therefore, A alone can do the whole work in (4/3)*(9) = 12
days.

Now simply put A = 12 in the main above equation to get:

1 1 1 1
= − =
B 8 12 24

Therefore B alone can complete the work in 24 days.

Q4) 10 men can finish a piece of work in 50 days working 8

hours a day. How many workers would it require to get the
work finish in 30 days such that they work 10 hours each day.

Solution:

Total units of working hours required is computed as:

= 10*50*8

Therefore if the required number of workers for the second

scenario is X. Then, we have here:

X*30*10 = 10*50*8

10∗50∗8
X=
30∗10
=13.33 that is 14 workers would be required. ( as
workers cannot work in fraction.

Q5) Given that there are 3 father – son pairs appointed to

complete a piece of work. The efficiency of the three
fathers is in the ratio of 1:2:3. The most efficient father can
do the piece of work in 30 days. Also the efficiency of each
son is one third the efficiency of their respective fathers.
Find the number of days required in which all 6 of them
together can complete a piece of work.

a) 11/135
b)22/135
c) 15/135
d) None of these

Solution:

As we are given that the fastest father can do the piece of

work in 30 days, then the other 2 fathers would complete
the work in 60 and 90 days respectively ( from the given
efficiency ratios )

Next, from the above number of days, the number of days

taken for their sons to complete the work alone is computed
as: 3*30 = 90 days, 60*3 = 180 days and 90*3 = 270 days
respectively.

Therefore if all 6 together can do the piece of work in n

days, then we have here:

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 18+ 9+6+ 6+3+2 44 22 11

= + + + + + = ¿ = =
n 30 60 90 90 180 270 540 540 270 135

Therefore they altogether can complete the piece of work

in 11/135 days.
Q6) 60 members can normally do a work in 40 days. However,
after 2 days, 1 worker left and after 4 days, 2 more workers
left, after 6 days, 3 more workers left and so on. Find the
number of days in which the whole work would be completed.

Solution:

2∗60 2∗59 2∗57 2∗54

+ + +
2400 2400 2400 2400
+… … .. n terms . for 2n days.

Therefore, we need to find n such that:

S = 60 + 59 + 57 + 54 + ….. + = 2400/2 = 1200

For n terms, S = 60n – (1 + 2 + 3 + … (n-1) terms ) = 1200

60n – (n-1)(n)/2 = 1200

120n – n*n + n = 2400
n*n – 121n + 2400 = 0
n = 25

Therefore work is done in a total 25*2 = 50 day period.

Q7) A and B can complete a piece of work in x and y days

respectively when working alone. They both work on alternate
days that is A on the first day, B on the second day and so
on. This way they both are able to finish the work in 12 days.
Find the number of ordered integer pairs possible for (x, y).
Solution:

We have here from the given expression:

1 1 1 1 1 1 1
x y x y ( )
+ +… …+ 12terms=1 6 + =1 + = 6 x +6 y=xy x ( 6− y )−6 ( 6− y ) +6 2=0
x y 6
( x−6 )( y−6 )=36 ( x−6 )( y−6 )=22∗32Therefore 9 is the required
number of solutions here.

Q8) A and B (both having the same efficiency) have been

working together to complete a piece of work in 20 days. Two
things happened after 8 days of work: B got sick and could
not continue. Also A was told that he had to complete the
work in 8 more days ( that is total 16 days ) instead of going
upto the 20th day. Find the percentage increase in efficiency
required to finish the work in 8 more days.

Solution:

As both of them work with equal efficiency, let there be 40

units of work such that each of them A and B does 1 unit of
work in one day. Then in those 8 days working together, they
must have completed 16 units of work. So we are left with 24
units of work more which need to be completed in 8 days but
by A alone.

24/8 = 3
This means that A will have to increase its efficiency by
200%.
Therefore 200% is the increase in efficiency required
here.

Q9) There are 4 workers numbered from 1 to 4. The

efficiency of the i {th} worker is one fifth of the combined
efficiency of the lower number workers. Find the number of
days in which the 4 {th } worker can complete the work working
alone given that they all together can complete the work in
125 days.

Solution:

Let the amount of work done by the first worker in one day
be x units. Then we have here:

x 1 x 6x
R1=x R2= R3=
5 5 ( )( )
x + = R4 =
5 25
1
5 ( )( x+ 5x + 625x )= 25 x+1255 x +6 x = 36125x
Therefore, together the work done by them in one day is
computed as:
x 6 x 36 x 216 x
¿ x+ + + =
5 25 125 125

Therefore total work could be computed as:

125∗216 x
¿ =216 x units
125

Therefore the 4 {th } worker can complete the work in y days

then, we have here:

125
∗216 x=750 days
36 x
Therefore the 4th worker alone can complete the work in
750 days.

Alternative way:

Let the work by 4th worker done be in 5n days.

The combined work done by the first 3 workers would be in n
days.

Then, we have here:

1 1 1 6 1
+ = = n=6∗25=150
n 5 n 125 5 n 125

Therefore 4th worker alone can do the work in 5n = 750

days.

Q10) A takes 60% more time to finish a piece of work than

taken by A and B together. Then how much percent more
time would be taken by B alone to complete the work than A
and B working together.

a) 133.33%
b) 166.67%
c) 200%
d) 233.33%

Solution:
We are given here that:

1.6 1 1 0.6 1 1 1 1 1 10 1 1 1 8 Therefore the %

= + = = + = + + =
A A B A B A 0.6 B A B 6 B B A B 3 B
extra time taken by B working alone than A and B together is
computed as:

( 83 −1)=166.67 %
¿ 100∗

Therefore the extra time taken here is 166.67%

Q11) The number of workers increases by 50% while the

efficiency of each worker decreased by 40%. Find the %
change in the work done in the same amount of time.

Solution:

Let initially we have x workers who does y units of work each

day. Then the total work done in n days is computed to be:
xyn.

Then the amount of work done by the later group in n days

would be computed as:
= n*(1.5x)(0.6y) = 0.9xyn

Therefore the amount of work decreased by 10%.

Q12) 8 men can complete a work in 20 days. 8 days after

they started working, 24 more men joined them. How many
more days will they now take to complete the remaining
work?

Solution:

Here, we are given that:

Let the total work be 8*20 = 160 units.

In 8 days, the total work done is computed as: 8*8 = 64 units.

Therefore we are left with 96 units of work.

Now total 32 men would complete the remaining work in

96/32 = 3 days.

Therefore 3 days is the required number of more days

required here.

Q13) A is twice as efficient as B and B is thrice as efficient

as C.if all three can complete a work in 36 days. Find the
difference in the number of days taken to complete the work
when A and B work together and when B and C work
together?

Solution:

Let the amount of work done by C in one day be x units.

Then amount of work done by B in one day would be 3x units
and that by A would be 6x units of work.

Therefore in one day, there would be x + 3x + 6x = 10x units

of work done in one day together by A, B and C.

As they complete the work in 36 days, total work = 360x

units of work.

A and B together does 9x units of work in a day and B and C

would do 4x units of work in a day.

Therefore, time the difference in the number of days

required here is computed as:

36 0 x 36 0 x 1 1
¿
4x
−
9x ( 4 9)
=36 0 − =50 days .

Therefore 50 days is the required difference here.

Q14) A and B can complete the work in 20 and 25 days

respectively when working alone. They work on alternate
days. Let n be the number of days taken to complete the
work when A starts on the first day and let m be the number
of days taken to complete the work when B starts on the
first day. Find the value of m – n.

Solution:

The amount of work done in 2 days is computed as:

1 1 9 th
W 2= + =
20 25 100
day, B will take 0.01*25 = 0.25 day, while A
would take 0.01*20 = 0.2 day.

Therefore we get here: n = 0.25 and m = 0.2

Therefore m – n = -0.20 is the required value here.

Q15) One person can finish a piece of work in K number of

days such that K ranges from a minimum value of 185 to a
maximum value of 205 days. Now one person starts the work
initially, who is joined by another person the next day and
another third person the day after. This goes on till the N {th }
till the work is completed. Given that N is an integer, find N.

Solution:

Let the amount of work done by one person in one day be x

units.

Then in N days according to the given conditions, the total

work done would be computed as:

N (N + 1) x
¿ x+ 2 x +3 x+ … . N terms=
2

For N = 19, we get here:

19∗20 x ,∧20∗21 x
=190 x =210 x Therefore N has to be 19 as that
2 2
is the only integer value possible.

Q16) If 43 men work for 5 hours a day, they could complete

the work in 17 days. On the first day, only 3 men start
working 5 hours a day. Each day starting from second day, 3
more people keep joins them and also each day they work 30
minutes more than previous day. How many men are involved
in work on the day end of which 7.8% of the work is
completed.

Solution:

Total working hours required to complete the work:

= 43*5*17 = 3655 work hours.

Now, according to the given conditions, we have here:

3*5 + 6*5.5 + 9*6 + 12*6.5 + ….

The n {th} term here is clearly given as:

( 4.5+0.5 n)∗3 n=13.5 n+1.5 n2

Therefore the summation of the series till n {th } term is

computed as:

n
13.5 n ( n+ 1 ) 1.5 n ( n+1 )( 2 n+1 )
∑ 13.5 k + 1.5 k 2= 2
+
6
k =1

For n = 5 ,we get the value of the above expression as:

= 202.5 + 82.5
= 285

Percentage of work done = 285/3655 = 7.8% of the work.

Therefore number of workers worked on the 5th day is

given as 15.

Q17) A and B can together complete the work in 23 days. If

they take x and y days alone to complete the work
respectively, then find the maximum difference between the
number of days taken by the 2 of them to complete the work.

Solution:

We are given here that:

1 1 1
+ =
A B 23
1 1 1
+ =
x y 23
xy
So x+ y =
23
xy
X= – y
23
y ( x−23 )
X=
23
X y
=
x−23 23
At x=24 , y=24∗23=552

Now clearly from the above expression, we see that x is

inversely proportional to y which means that as x increases, y
decreases and vice versa. Therefore here as we increase the
value of x, the value of y would decrease and therefore the
difference between them would decrease.

Therefore the maximum difference here is computed as:

= 552 – 24
= 528

Therefore 528 is the maximum difference here.

Q18) 10 men can do 10 units of work in 10 days. Find the

number of units of work that 20 men can do in 20 days.
Solution:

Let K units be the amount of work done by each man in one

day.

Then, we have here: 10*10K = 10

Therefore K = 0.1

Therefore number of units of work done by 20 men in 20

days is computed as: 20*20*0.1 = 40.

Therefore 40 units of work would be done.

Q19) A and B together can complete a piece of work in 10

days. If A increased his efficiency three times and B
increased his efficiency by 4 times, then the time taken by
them to complete the same work is 3 days. Find the time
taken by A alone to the piece of work.

Solution:

From the given conditions, we get here:

1 1 1 3 4 11 4 1 2 1 1
+ = + = = − = − =
A B 10 A B 3 A 10 3 5 3 15

Therefore A can alone does the work in 15 days.

Q20) The number of units of work done is directly

proportional to the cube of the number of workers involved in
doing the work. We are given that 3 workers are able to
complete the piece of work in 125 days. Find the number of
days it takes for 5 workers to complete the same piece of
work.

Solution:

With x workers, the amount of work done be:

¿ k x3

Where k is the constant of proportionality.

Therefore, with 5 workers, the time taken would be

computed as:

53∗K∗Time=33∗K∗125 Time=27 days

Therefore 27 days is the time taken to complete the

work here.