Work Word Problems- More Than Two PersonsWork Problems are word problems that involve different people doing work together but at different rates. If the people were working at the same rate then we would use the Inversely Proportional Method instead.
The formula for “Work” Problems that involve two persons is This formula can be extended for more than two persons. It can also be used in problems that involve pipes filling up a tank.
“Work” Problems: More than Two PersonsExample: Jane, Paul and Peter can finish painting the fence in 2 hours. If Jane does the job alone she can finish it in 5 hours. If Paul does the job alone he can finish it in 6 hours. How long will it take for Peter to finish the job alone? Solution: Step 1: Assign variables:
Step 2: Use the formula: Step 3: Solve the equation
Answer: The time taken for Peter to paint the fence alone is
VideosWork Word ProblemsIt is possible to solve word problems when two people are doing a work job together by solving systems of equations. To solve a work word problem, multiply the hourly rate of the two people working together times the time spent working to get the total amount of time spent on the job. Knowledge of solving systems of equations is necessary to solve these types of problems.
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