Question

Imani can pick forty bushels of apples in 15 hours. Bill can pick the same amount in 13 hours. Find how long it would take them if they worked together.

Answer 1

6.96 hours.

Explanation:

First, we need to find out the hour rate of bushels picked for each of them.

If Imani can pick 40 bushels in 15 hours, then he picks 40/15 = 8/3 bushes per hour.

If Bill can pick 40 bushels in 13 hours, then he picks 40/13 bushes per hour.

Working together, they pick:
`(8)/(3) +(40)/(13)` bushes per hour.

Let's simplify this expression:

`(8)/(3) + (40)/(13)  = (104+120)/(39) = (224)/(39)` = 5.74

Now we can use a rule of three

1 hour -------5.74

x hours ------40

Then,

x = 40 / 5.74 = 6.96

Therefore, it would take them 6.96 hours working together.