Answer: they have to work for 11.25 hours.
Explanation:
Let x represent the number of months for which they have to work to make the same amount.
Each month, Miss Patrick spends $60 on transportation to work, and earns $24.50 per hour. This means that if she works for x hours in a month, the total amount that she would have is
24.5x - 60
Each month, Mr. Shah spends $150 on lab equipment and earns $32.50 per month. This means that if he works for x hours in a month, the total amount that he would have is
32.5x - 150
For them to have the same amount, the number of months would be
32.5x - 150 = 24.5x - 60
32.5x - 24.5x = - 60 + 150
8x = 90
x = 90/8
x = 11.25 hours