Final answer:
Jerry and Bobby would take approximately 4.63 minutes to vacuum the downstairs together.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find out how long it would take Jerry and Bobby to vacuum the downstairs together, we need to calculate their rates of work. Jerry takes 8 minutes to complete the job, so his rate of work is 1/8 of the job per minute. Bobby takes 11 minutes to complete the job, so his rate of work is 1/11 of the job per minute. When they work together, their rates of work are added up.
Therefore, their combined rate of work is 1/8 + 1/11 of the job per minute. To find the time it would take for them to complete the job, we can use the formula: time = 1 / (combined rate of work). Plugging in the values, we have: time = 1 / (1/8 + 1/11) = 1 / (11/88 + 8/88) = 1 / (19/88) = 88/19 minutes. Rounding to two decimal places, the answer is approximately 4.63 minutes.