Question

It takes a bear 9 more days to eat a barrel of honey alone than it takes the bear and a second bear to eat the barrel of honey together. It takes the first bear 7 fewer days to eat a barrel of honey alone than it takes the second bear to eat a barrel of honey alone. In how many days can the two bears eat a barrel of honey together?

No links please.

Answer 1

answer: 12

Step-by-step explanation:

let x=two bears eating honey together

let x+9=first bear

let (x+9)+7=second bear **because we know the second day takes 7 more days to eat the same amount of honey as the first bear**

since the bears can finish a barrel of honey over multiple days, they can only finish part of the barrel of honey in one day.

therefore...

x/(x+9)+x(x+16)=1 or x*1/(x+9)+x*1/(x+16)=1 **the equation equals 1 because you are trying to find how much honey they eat in one day aka 1=single day**

if you solve, you get x=-12; x=12. it can only be the positive value so x=12 is your answer. your welcome fellow rsm students.

Answer 2

it takes the bears 12 days to eat honey together.

Step-by-step explanation:

1/x+9+1/x+16=1/x

(solve this using cross multiplication)

= x^2 = 144

x=12