Republic of the Philippines
CAPIZ STATE UNIVERSITY
Fuentes Drive, Roxas City, Capiz, Philippines
website: [Link] email address: roxas@[Link]
GE 104 (Mathematics in the Modern World)
Problem Set 3 (Work Problem)
Instruction: Show your complete solution, avoid erasures, write legibly and box your final answer.
1. Using a riding lawn mower, Jack, the landscaper of a large park, can mow the lawn in 8 hours. With a
small mower, his assistant Bob needs 14 hours to mow the same lawn. If Jack and Bob work together
mowing the lawn, approximately how many hours will it take?
Ans. 5 hours
2. Jack and Jill are going up the hill to pull weeds. Jack can pull all of the weeds by himself in 8 hours. If
Jill helps him, they can pull the same amount of weeds in 5 hours. How many hours would it take Jill to
pull the weeds working alone?
Ans. 13.3 hours
3. Will and Matt own a small business. Will, working alone, can complete a task in 7 hours. Matt can
complete the same task in 9 hours. Exactly how many hours would it take them to complete the task
working together?
Ans. 3.974 hours
4. Working alone, Dan can sweep a porch in 15 minutes. Alberto can sweep the same porch in 11 minutes.
If they worked together how long would it take them?
Ans. 6.35 minutes
5. Krystal can wax a floor in 16 minutes. One day her friend Perry helped her and it only took 5.76
minutes. How long would it take Perry to do it alone?
Ans. 9 minutes
6. Working alone, it takes Asanji eight hours to dig a 10 ft by 10 ft hole. Brenda can dig the same hole in
nine hours. How long would it take them if they worked together?
Ans. 4.24 hours
7. Brian, Mark and Jeff are painting a house. Brian would take 15 hours to paint the house by himself.
Mark would take 20 hours to paint the house by himself. Jeff would take 25 hours to paint the house by
himself. How long, in hours to the nearest tenth, would it take all three men to paint the house together?
Ans. 6.4 hours
8. Heather and Kathleen are asked to prepare the food for a banquet. Heather can prepare the food by
herself in 15 hours. Kathleen can prepare the food by herself in 18 hours. How many hours, to the
nearest tenth, will it take to prepare the food if they work together?
Ans. 8.2 hours
9. Using a riding lawn mower, John, the landscaper of a large park, can mow the lawn in 14 hours. With a
small mower, his assistant Becky needs 18 hours to mow the same lawn. If John and Becky work
together mowing the lawn, approximately exactly how many hours will it take?
Republic of the Philippines
CAPIZ STATE UNIVERSITY
Fuentes Drive, Roxas City, Capiz, Philippines
website: [Link] email address: roxas@[Link]
Ans. 7.88 hours
10. A swimming pool can be filled by three water pipes. A, B, and C. Pipe A alone can fill the pool in 8
hours. Pipe B alone can fill the pool in 10 hours, and pipe C can fill it in 12 hours. How long does it take
to fill the swimming pool using all three pipes?
Ans. 3.243 hours
11. A swimming pool can be filled a water pipe in 8 hours and can be emptied by another pipe in 10 hours.
One night, when the pool is empty, we accidentally leave both pipes open. How long will it take for the
pool to be filled with water?
Ans. 40 hours
12. A swimming pool can be filled by three water pipes, A, B, and C. Pipe A alone can fill the pool in 30
hours, pipe B alone in 6 hours, and pipe C in 5 hours. How long does it take to fill the pool if all three
pipes are used?
Ans. 2.5 hours
13. Jimmy can clean the house in 5 hours. If Susan helps to clean the house the job can be done in 2 hours.
How long should it take Susan to clean the house alone?
Ans. 3 hours and 20 minutes
14. Krystal can wax a floor in 16 minutes. One day her friend Perry helped her and it only took 5.76
minutes. How long would it take Perry to do it alone?
Ans. 9 minutes
15. Working together, Jenny and Natalie can mop a warehouse in 5.14 hours. Had she done it alone it would
have taken Natalie 12 hours. How long would it take Jenny to do it alone?
Ans. 8.99 hours
Prepared By: Engr. Axel Jan A. Vito
Course Facilitator