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WORK
Many work problems can be solved by simply using the work formula: RATE TIME = WORK 1. An empty swimming pool with a capacity of 7800 gallons is filled at a rate of 10 gallons per minute. How many hours does it take to completely fill the swimming pool? (A) 10 (B) 12 (C) 13 (D) 130 (E) 780

MULTIPLE WORKERS: SAME RATE

A. If everyone works at the same rate and it takes 1 man 6 hours to do a job, how

long would it take 6 men to do the job? B. C. How long would it take 2 men? How long would it take 3 men?

If you change the number of men, you change the number of hours, but the product of the number of men and the number of hours remains the same: M1H1 = M2H2

2.

It takes 3 men 7 hours to paint a house. How long, in hours, will it take 5 men to paint the same house? (A) 3.8 (B) 3.9 (C) 4.2 (D) 10.2 (E) 11.4

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If the new amount of work is different from the original amount, use this formula: M 1 H1 M 2 H 2 = W1 W2

Note that if the amount of work is 1 unit, this is the same as the previous formula. 6 pickers can pick 8 acres of apples in 12 hours. If all the pickers work at the same rate, how many hours would it take 5 pickers to pick 10 acres of apples? (A) 10.8 (B) 12.6 (C) 14.4 (D) 18.0 (E) 20.0

3.

Often the question will give you information in one unit and ask for the answer in another unit. To solve the problem, you need to know how to do conversions: minutes to hours: a minutes yards to feet: a yards 1 hour a = hours 60 minutes 60

3 feet = 3a feet 1 yard

4.

In a certain factory, each of a workers produce b pairs of shoes every c hours. If the workers work around the clock without any breaks, how many days are required to produce 1,000 pairs of shoes? 125c 3ab 1,000c (B) ab 3a (C) 125bc 3c (D) 125ab 125ab (E) 3c (A)

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MULTIPLE WORKERS: DIFFERENT RATES

If A is equal to the amount of time it takes worker A to complete a task, then his rate is 1/A. Once you have workers individual rates, you can find their total rate, 1/T, and their total time, T. 1 1 1 + = A B T 5. Katie and Sam together can type a manuscript in 4 hours. Katie can type the manuscript alone in 10 hours. How long would it take Sam to type the manuscript by himself? (A) 9 minutes (B) 15 minutes (C) 4.33 hours (D) 6.67 hours (E) 7 hours

When the problem is complex and doesnt ask for the time required to complete a task, it is often useful to create a table to organize the information. Circle the box you are solving for. Plug in the information you are given and make deductions from it. Dont waste time filling in the boxes you dont need.

6.

A windmill pumps water into an old 1,000 gallon tank that leaks water at a rate of 2 gallons per hour. How many gallons per hour must the windmill pump into the tank in order to completely fill it in 125 hours? (A) 2 (B) 4 (C) 6 (D) 8 (E) 10 RATE IN OUT TOTAL TIME WORK

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If two workers work together for a certain amount of time, they complete a certain amount of a job. Find out how much of the job they did so that you can see how much is left to do.

7.

Fred and John always work at their respective constant rates. Fred can dig a ditch of a certain length in 16 hours, and John can dig the same ditch in 24 hours. Fred and John work together on the ditch for 4 hours, and then Fred goes home for a siesta. How many hours will it take John to finish the ditch by himself? (A) 4 (B) 8 (C) 9 (D) 14 (E) 16

If you are given more than one work amount, it can be useful to solve the problem as a proportion. 8. Machine X produces 1,000 parts every 6 hours, Machine Y produces 700 parts every 3 hours. Each machine works at a constant rate. Working simultaneously, how many hours would it take them to produce 10,000 parts? (A) 25 (B) 23 (C) 21 (D) 19 (E) 17

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ANSWERS
1. An empty swimming pool with a capacity of 7800 gallons is filled at a rate of 10 gallons per minute. How many hours does it take to completely fill the swimming pool? (C) 13 w = rt 7800 = 10t t = 780 minutes A. B. C. 1 hour. 3 hours. 2 hours. 2. It takes 3 men 7 hours to paint a house. How long, in hours, will it take 5 men to paint the same house? (C) 4.2 1 hour = 13 hours 60 minutes

( 3 ) ( 7 ) = 5H 2
H2 = 3.

M 1 H1 = M 2 H 2 21 = 4.2 5

6 pickers can pick 8 acres of apples in 12 hours. If all the pickers work at the same rate, how many hours would it take 5 pickers to pick 10 acres of apples? (D) 18.0 M 1H1 M 2 H 2 = W1 W2 = 5H 2 10

( 6 ) ( 12 )

8 H 2 = 18

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4.

In a certain factory, each of a workers produce b pairs of shoes every c hours. If the workers work around the clock without any breaks, how many days are required to produce 1,000 pairs of shoes? (A) 125c 3ab

b pairs 24 hours 24ab pairs = c hours 1 day c days w = 1000 pairs rt = w rate = a t= w 1000 pairs ( 1000 pairs ) ( c days ) 125c = = = days r 24ab pairs 24ab pairs 3ab c days

5.

Katie and Sam together can type a manuscript in 4 hours. Katie can type the manuscript alone in 10 hours. How long would it take Sam to type the manuscript by himself? (D) 6.67 hours 1 1 1 + = K S T 1 1 1 + = 10 S 4 1 1 1 6 3 = - = = S 4 10 40 20 20 S= = 6.67 hours 3

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6.

A windmill pumps water into an old 1,000 gallon tank that leaks water at a rate of 2 gallons per hour. How many gallons per hour must the windmill pump into the tank in order to completely fill it in 125 hours? (E) 10

RATE IN OUT TOTAL 10 2 8

TIME

WORK

125

1000

7.

Fred and John always work at their respective constant rates. Fred can dig a ditch of a certain length in 16 hours, and John can dig the same ditch in 24 hours. Fred and John work together on the ditch for 4 hours, and then Fred goes home for a siesta. How many hours will it take John to finish the ditch by himself? (D) 14 In 4 hours, Fred digs 1/4 of the ditch and John digs 1/6. Together they dig 10/24 of the ditch in 4 hours. There is 14/24 of the ditch left for John to dig by himself. w = rt 14 1 = t 24 24 t = 14

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8.

Machine X produces 1,000 parts every 6 hours, Machine Y produces 700 parts every 3 hours. Each machine works at a constant rate. Working simultaneously, how many hours would it take them to produce 10,000 parts? (A) 25 Parts in 6 hours: X: 1,000 Y: 1,400 combined hours 6 h : = combined parts 2, 400 10,000 1 h = 400 10,000 1 h = 4 100 h = 25