Question

The Powell family and the Hughes family each used their sprinklers last summer. The water output rate for the Powell family's sprinkler was 15L per hour. The water output rate for the Hughes family's sprinkler was 20L per hour. The families used their sprinklers for a combined total of 50 hours, resulting in a total water output of 850L. How long was each sprinkler used?

Answer 1

Powell family's sprinkler: 20 hours

Hughes family's sprinkler: 30 hours

Explanation:

Let P be the number of hours that the Powell family's sprinkler was used and let H be the number of hours that the Hughes family's sprinkler was used. We can set up the following system of equations:

```

P + H = 50

15P + 20H = 850

```

Solving for P and H, we get:

```

P = 20

H = 30

```

Therefore, the Powell family's sprinkler was used for 20 hours and the Hughes family's sprinkler was used for 30 hours.

Answer:

Powell family's sprinkler: 20 hours

Hughes family's sprinkler: 30 hours