Question

A clerical worker takes 2 times as long to finish a job as it does an executive secretary. Working together, it takes them 2 hr to finish the job. How long would it take the clerical worker, working alone, to finish the job? It would take the clerical worker hr to finish the job working alone. (Type an integer or a decimal.)

Answer 1

It would take the clerical worker 6 hr to finish the job working alone.

Explanation:

Let x be the time taken( in hours ) by executive to finish the job when he works alone,

⇒ One hour work of the executive =
`(1)/(x)`

According to the question,

Time taken by clerical worker to finish the job alone = 2x hours,

⇒ One hour work of the clerical worker =
`(1)/(2x)`

Total work in one hour when they work together =
`(1)/(x)+(1)/(2x)`

Now, it takes them 2 hr to finish the job together,

So, total work in one hour when they work together =
`(1)/(2)`

`\implies (1)/(x)+(1)/(2x)=(1)/(2)`

`(2+1)/(2x)=(1)/(2)`

`(3)/(x)=1`

`\implies x = 3`

Hence, time taken by clerical worker to finish the job alone = 2(3) = 6 hours