Question

If Maria can print and laminate signs in 4 hours, and Josie can do it in 2 hours, how long will it take them working together to complete the task?

Answer 1

To find out how long it will take Maria and Josie to complete the task working together, we calculate their combined work rate and divide the task by this rate. It will take them 1 hour and 20 minutes to complete the task working together.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find out how long it will take Maria and Josie to complete the task working together, we need to calculate their combined work rate. Maria takes 4 hours to complete the task, so her work rate is 1/4 of the task per hour. Josie takes 2 hours to complete the task, so her work rate is 1/2 of the task per hour. To find their combined work rate, we add their individual work rates: 1/4 + 1/2 = 3/4. The combined work rate is 3/4 of the task per hour. To find the time it will take them working together, we divide the task by their combined work rate:

Total time = 1/ (3/4) = 4/3 = 1 and 1/3 hours

So, it will take Maria and Josie 1 hour and 20 minutes to complete the task working together.