Final answer:
Mary makes $90 per hour, which is twice that of John's hourly rate. We calculate this by first establishing the sum of John's and Dennis's wage as $60 and then determining that Dennis makes 1/3 of John's rate.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find out what Mary makes per hour, we need to establish the relationship between the hourly wages of Mary, John, and Dennis. According to the problem, Mary's hourly wage is twice that of John's. The total of John's and Dennis's hourly wages is $60, and Dennis earns 1/3 of John's rate.
Let's say John earns $x per hour. Then, Dennis's hourly wage would be $x/3, since Dennis earns 1/3 of what John earns. The total hourly wage for both John and Dennis would be $x + $x/3, which is equal to $60.
To find John's rate, we solve the equation:
$x + $x/3 = $60
Multiplying through by 3 to eliminate the fraction, we have:
3$x + $x = $180
4$x = $180
$x = $180 / 4
$x = $45
Since Mary's hourly wage is twice that of John's, Mary earns:
2 x $45 = $90 per hour.