Time and Work

Time and Work is a concept that deals with how long it takes for one person or
a group of people to complete a task, and how efficient they are in doing it.
These problems study the relationship between three things - the number of
people working, the time they take, and the total work completed.
The basic formula is:
Work Done = Number of People × Number of Days
(or W = M×D)
Here, the unit of work is often measured in man-days or man-hours, which
means the total effort given by one person in a day or hour.
Time and Work problems are generally of two main types:
1. When different individuals work alone or together, each with their own
efficiency.
2. When groups work together, and the overall group efficiency is considered.

What is Time and Work?

The important terms related to time and work are given below:
Time Taken: Rate of work and time are inversely proportional to each other.
Thus, R = 1/T
Work Done: It takes (T) time to complete a certain amount of work (W). The
number of units of work done per unit time. Thus, Work Done (W) = Time (T) *
Rate of Work (R)
Negative Work: Assume that there are two people A and B who have been
assigned to build a table. Here, work refers to the building of a table. Also,
assume that there is another person C who is assigned the task of damaging
the table. Now, work done by C is termed as negative work as C is effectively
lowering the amount of work done by A and B.

Time and Work 1

 Work Equivalence: Please note that the work one by people/pipes can be
stated mathematically as,
Work done = rate of work x time
Consider the following formula also,
MIDIT1 = M2D2T2 (provided work remains the same)
In the above formula,
M = Number of persons
D = Number of days
T= Number of hours.
The equation is called the "work equivalence formula"
Concept of Efficiency: Very often, you will get to read and solve time-work
problems where it is usually mentioned that the efficiency of A is twice the
efficiency of B or that A is three times more efficient than B. In the first case, it
means that A takes one-half of the time taken by B to do the same amount of
work. In the second case, it means that A's efficiency is thrice that of B and so
A will take one-third of the time taken by B to do the same amount of work.

Important Time and Work Formulas

When solving Time and Work problems, knowing the formulas makes it much
easier to find the answer quickly.
Once you understand these formulas, you can connect the question to the
solution in just a few steps.
Here are some key formulas to remember:
1. Work Done = Time Taken x Rate of Work
2. Rate of Work = 1 ÷ Time Taken

3. Time Taken = 1 ÷Rate of Work

4. If a task is completed in x days, then work done in one day = 1/x
5. Total Work = Number of Days x Efficiency

6. Efficiency and Time are inversely related - if efficiency increases, time

decreases.
7. If the ratio of workers is X: Y, then the ratio of time taken is Y: X.
8. If x people can do W₁ work in D1 days, working T₁ hours per day, and y
people can do W2 work in D2 days, working T2 hours per day, then their
relationship can be compared using:
x × D1 × T1 × W2 = y × D2 × T2 × W1

Time and Work 2

 Types of Questions from Time and Work
There are some specific types of questions from Time and Work that usually
come in exams. Some of the important types of questions from time and work
are as follows:

Time and Work Questions involving individual efficiencies

In such questions, the rates at which some individuals complete work alone are
given and you are required to calculate the rate at which they can complete the
work together and vice versa.

Time and Work Questions involving group efficiencies

Till now, we have looked at problem types where individuals were working, in
this type of question, we will now look at problems where people with the same
efficiencies are working in groups.

Tips and Tricks to Solve Questions based on Time and Work

Candidates can find different tips and tricks from below for solving the
questions related to time and work.
Tip #1: Work and Wages Concept: Ratio of wages of persons doing work is
directly proportional to the ratio of efficiency of the persons.
Tip # 2: If A can do a piece of work in 10 days, then in 1 day, A will do 1/10 part
of total work.
Tip # 3: If A is thrice as good as B, then

In a given amount of time, A will be able to do 3 times the work B does.

Ratio of work done by A and B (at the
same time) =3 : 1.

For the same amount of work, B will take thrice the time as much as A
takes. Ratio of time taken by A and B
(same work done) =1:3.

Tip #4: Efficiency is directly proportional to the work done and Inversely
proportional to the time taken.
Tip # 5: The number of days or time required to complete the work by A and B
both is equal to the ab/a+b.

Properties of Time and Work

Time and Work 3

 The topic of Time and Work helps us understand how fast a person or a group
can finish a job, and how their work rate changes when they work together or
separately. Here are some important properties explained in plain words

1. Work and Time are Inversely Related

If a person takes more time to do a job, their work rate is slower. If they take
less time, their work rate is faster.
Example: If A can finish a job in 10 days, then in 1 day A completes 1/10 of
the work.

2. Total Work is Constant

For a particular job, the total amount of work remains the same.
Example: Painting a wall is the same amount of work whether one person
paints it in 4 days or two people paint it in 2 days.

3. Work Done in One Day

If a person takes N days to complete a job, then their 1-day work = 1/N of
the total work.

4. Adding Work Rates

When two or more people work together, their combined 1-day work is the
sum of their individual 1-day work.
Example: If A can finish in 6 days (1/6 per day) and B in 12 days (1/12 per
day), then together they do:
1/6 + 1/12 = 1/4 → They finish in 4 days.

5. Subtracting Work Rates

If one person is helping and another is undoing work (or slowing down),
then subtract their rates.
Example: A fills a tank in 6 hours (1/6 per hour), B empties it in 12 hours
(1/12 per hour), net work rate:
1/6 - 1/12 = 1/12 → Tank is filled in 12 hours.

6. Efficiency and Time

Efficiency is how fast a worker completes a job. If one person is twice as
efficient as another, they take half the time to do the same work.

7. Ratio of Times and Efficiencies

The time taken is inversely proportional to efficiency.
If A's efficiency: B's efficiency = 3: 2, then their time taken ratio = 2 : 3.

8. Partial Work Concept

Sometimes work is done for a few days by one person, and then completed

Time and Work 4

 by others. In such cases, calculate the amount of work finished first,
subtract it from total work, and then see how much remains.

9. Work with More People Joining or Leaving

If workers join or leave midway, adjust the calculation by dividing the work
into different time segments and finding how much was done in each part.

10. Units and Consistency

Always keep time in the same unit (all in days, hours, or minutes) and work
in the same unit (whole job = 1 unit).

EXAMPLE QUESTIONS
Example 1: A person alone can do a job in 40 days. In how many days can B
alone do the job, if together they can do the job in 8 days?

Example 2: A does work in 10 days and B does the same work in 15 days. In
how many days will they do the same work?

Time and Work 5

 Example 3: A and B can do a work in 3 days; B & C can do it in 4 days and A &
C can do it in 6 days. In how many days will A, B & C finish it, if they work
together?

Example 4: A and B can do a piece of work in 12 days, B and C in 15 days, and

C and A in 20 days. How long would A take separately to do the same work?

Example 5: P is twice as good as Q and together they finish a piece of work in

36 days. The number of days taken by P alone to finish the work?

Time and Work 6

 SOLUTIONS:
1. Solution: ⇒ Efficiency of A: Efficiency of A +B = (1/40) : (1/8) =1:5
⇒ Efficiency of B/ Efficiency of A= (5 – 1)/1 = 4/1 B is 4 times efficient than
A,
⇒ Number of days taken by B = 1/4 × Number of days taken by A = 40/4 =
10 days

2. Solution: A+B = 3+ 2 unit/day = 5 units/day

Time = 30 / 5 = 6 days.

3. Solution: A+B+C=9/2
Time = 12 / (9/2)=8/3 days

4. Solution: One day work of A and B = 1/12 One day work of B and C = 1/15
One day work of C and A = 1/20
One day work of (A + B), (B + C) and (C +A) = 1/12 + 1/15 +1/20
= 12/60 = 1/5
One day work of (A+ B + C) =(1/2) × (1/5) =1/10
One day work of A= One day work of (A+B +C) - One day work of (B+ C)
= 1/10 – 1/15 = 2/60 = 1/30
. A takes 30 days alone to do the same work.

Time and Work 7

 5. Solution: Given,
Pis twice as good as Q.
⇒ (P's 1 day's work) / (Q's 1 day's work) = 2/1 Given,
⇒ (P + Q)'s 1 day's work = 1/36
⇒ P's 1 day's work = (1/36) × (2/3) = 1/54
..Palone can finish work in 54 days.

QUESTIONS
1. A can complete a piece of work in 10 days. How much of the work does A
complete in one day?

2. A can do a job in 12 days, while B can do the same in 18 days. How long will
it take if both work together?

3. A can complete a job in 20 days. B is twice as efficient as A. In how many

days can B complete the same job?

4. A and B can do a work in 8 days and 12 days respectively. If they work

together, how long will they take?

5. A can do a work in 15 days and B in 10 days. They start together, but A

leaves after 3 days. How many more days will B take to finish it?

6. 6 men can complete a work in 10 days. How many men will be needed to
complete the same work in 5 days?

7. A can do a piece of work in 25 days and B in 20 days. They work together

for 5 days and then A leaves. How long will B take to finish the rest?

8. A and B together can finish a job in 18 days. A alone takes 30 days. In how
many days can B alone finish it?

9. A can finish a work in 20 days, B in 30 days, and C in 60 days. How long

will they take working together?

10. A and B can complete a work in 12 days, B and C in 16 days, and A and C in
24 days. In how many days can all three finish the work together?

11. A is 50% more efficient than B. If B can finish a work in 18 days, how long
will A take to do the same?

12. A and B together can complete a task in 10 days. A alone can complete it in
15 days. If they are paid ₹600 for the job, what is B’s share?

Time and Work 8

 13. A, B, and C can do a work in 15, 20, and 30 days respectively. If they work
together for 4 days and then C leaves, how many more days will A and B
take to finish it?

14. 8 men can complete a work in 15 days, while 12 women can do it in 20

days. How many days will 4 men and 6 women take working together?

15. A, B, and C together can complete a work in 12 days. A alone can do it in 36

days, and B alone in 24 days. After working together for 6 days, A leaves.
How long will B and C take to finish the remaining work?

Solutions
1. Work per day = 1/10 → 1/10 of work per day

2. (1/12 + 1/18) = 5/36 → Time = 7.2 days

3. A’s time = 20 days, B twice efficient → B = 20 ÷ 2 = 10 days

4. (1/8 + 1/12) = 5/24 → Time = 4.8 days

5. (1/15 + 1/10) = 1/6 per day → 3 days = ½ work → Remaining ½ by B → ½ ÷

(1/10) = 5 days

6. Work = 6×10 = 60 man-days → 60/5 = 12 men

7. (1/25 + 1/20) = 9/100 per day → 5 days = 45/100 = 0.45 done → Remaining
0.55 → B alone = 0.55 ÷ (1/20) = 11 days

8. (1/18 − 1/30) = 1/45 → B = 45 days

9. (1/20 + 1/30 + 1/60) = (3+2+1)/60 = 6/60 = 1/10 → 10 days

10. A+B=1/12, B+C=1/16, A+C=1/24 → Adding: 2(A+B+C)= (1/12+1/16+1/24)=

(2+1.5+1)/24=4.5/24=3/16 → A+B+C = 3/32 → 10⅔ days

11. Efficiency ratio A:B = 3:2 → Time ratio = 2:3 → A = 18×(2/3)= 12 days

12. A:B = (1/15):(1/30)=2:1 → B’s share = 600×1/3 = ₹200

13. (1/15 + 1/20 + 1/30) = 1/6 → 4 days = 4/6 = 2/3 done → Remaining 1/3 →
(1/15 + 1/20) = 7/60 → (1/3)/(7/60)= 2.86 days

14. Men: 1 man = 1/(8×15)=1/120 → 4 men = 4/120=1/30

Women: 1 woman = 1/(12×20)=1/240 → 6 women=6/240=1/40

Together: (1/30 + 1/40)=7/120 → 17.14 days

15. A=1/36, B=1/24 → A+B+C=1/12 → So C=(1/12−1/36−1/24)=1/18

Time and Work 9

 In 6 days: 6×1/12=½ done → Remaining ½ → B+C=(1/24+1/18)=7/72 →
(½)/(7/72)= 5.14 days

Time and Work 10