SOLVING PROBLEMS
INVOLVING LINEAR
EQUATIONS IN ONE
VARIABLE
WORK-RELATED
PROBLEMS
(working together)
I can paint the same room in 5
hours using a roller.
I can paint this
room in 20 hours
using a brush
STEPS IN SOLVING WORK PROBLEMS
1. If the job is completed in x days then the rate is days
2. Construct a table showing rate , time and work for each
person/machine
3. The total work completed is the sum of the individual
amounts of work completed
4. If the job is complete, then the total work done is 1 job.
If the job is completed in x days then the rate is
days
State the work rate for each
1. Jhester can clean the room in 3 hours 𝟏
𝟑
2. Mr. Clean can load a truck in 20 mins.
𝟏
𝟐𝟎
Construct a table showing rate , time and work
for each person/machine
Identify their work rates, amount of work done
and time at work
WORK RATE TIME
( Amount of the task = ( Persons work rate) x (Time at work)
completed by that
person)
The total work completed is the sum of the
individual amounts of work completed
Amount completed by Amount completed by
+
one person/ machine another person/ machine= Whole task
If the job is complete, then the total work done is
1 job.
EXAMPLE 1:
1. John can paint a room in 4 hours and Lady can do it in 6
hours. How long would it take them if they work together?
REPRESENT
Let x = number of hours if they work together
Their working rates are:
John = 𝟏
Lady =𝟒
𝟏
𝟔
EXAMPLE 1:
1. John can paint a room in 4 hours and Lady can do it in 6
hours. How long would it take them if they work together?
REPRESENT
rate x time = work
John x
Lady x
EXAMPLE 1:
1. John can paint a room in 4 hours and Lady can do it in 6
hours. How long would it take them if they work together?
EQUATION
Work done by Work done by Whole
John + Lady = Job
+ = 1
EXAMPLE 1:
John can paint a room in 4 hours and Lady can do it in 6
hours. How long would it take them if they work together?
SOLVE
EXAMPLE 2:
The master bricklayer can finish a job in 3 hours; hence a
novice can finish it in 6 hours. How long will it take them if
they worked together?
TRY THIS
Robin can do the job in 3 hours. Melchor can do the same job
in 4 hours. How long would it take them if they worked
together?
EXAMPLE 3:
An empty tank can be filled by pipe A in 2 hours and pipe B
can do the same job in 6 hours. How long will it take them to
fill the tank together if both pipes are left open?
TRY THIS
A small pipe can fill a tank in 60 hours and a big pipe can
fille a tank in 15 hours. How long will it take them if both
pipes are left open?
EXAMPLE 4:
A pool can be filled in 4 hours with water using pipe A and
drained in 10 hours using pipe B. If pipe B is accidentally left
open while the pool is being filled, how long will it take to
fill the pool?
TRY THIS
A faucet can fill a bathtub in 9 minutes . The drain can empty
the full tub in 12 minutes. With the drain open and the faucet
on, how long will it take them to fill the tub?
WORK-RELATED
PROBLEMS
(working alone)
EXAMPLE 1:
Edison can fix the furniture in 6 hours. Tin- tin help her and
they work together for two hours. How long would it take
Tin-tin to work alone?
REPRESENT
Let x = number of hours if Tin-tin work alone
Their working rates are:
𝟏
Edison =𝟔
𝟏
Tin-tin =
𝒙
EXAMPLE 1:
Edison can fix the furniture in 6 hours. Tin- tin help her and
they work together for two hours. How long would it take
Tin-tin to work alone?
REPRESENT
rate x time = work
Edison 2
Tin-tin 2
EXAMPLE 1:
Edison can fix the furniture in 6 hours. Tin- tin help her and
they work together for two hours. How long would it take
Tin-tin to work alone?
EQUATION
Work done by Work done by Whole
Edison + Tin-tin = Job
+ = 1
EXAMPLE 1:
Edison can fix the furniture in 6 hours. Tin- tin help her and
they work together for two hours. How long would it take
Tin-tin to work alone?
SOLVE
EXAMPLE 2:
Carl can paint a certain fence in 3 hours. If Clyde helps him,
the job takes only 2 hours. How long would it take Clyde to
paint the fence by himself?
TRY THIS:
Angel can build a large shed in 24 days, and Angel together
with Aljhun can do it together in 6 days. How long would it
take Aljhun to work alone?
Example 3:
A water tank can be filled by two pipes. Pipe A can fill the
tank in 4.5 hours, while both pipes together can fill the tank
in 2 hours. How long does it take to fill the tank using only
Pipe B?
TRY THIS:
Two pipes can fill a tank in 2.1 hours. Pipe A working alone
can fill the tank in 7 hours. Working alone how long would it
take Pipe B to fill up the tank?
ACTIVITY:
1. Jacob can clean the sidewalks around the building in 2 hours
using a blower. Earl can do the same job in 8 hours using broom.
How long would it take them working together?
2. A sink can be filled by a pipe in 5 minutes , but it takes 7
minutes to drain a full sink. If both pipe and drain are open, how
long will it take to fill the sink?
3. Nelson can clean the room in 3 hours. If his brother John Mark
helps, they can clean it in 2.4 hours. How long would it take
John Mark to do the job alone?
[Link] can clean the sidewalks around the building in 2 hours using a blower. Earl can do the same job in 8
hours using broom. How long would it take them working together?
REPRESENT:
X = number of hours if they worked together SOLVE
rate time work ( )8
Jacob x 4x + 2x = 8
Earl x
6x = 8
EQUATION
x = 1.3 hours
Jacob + Earl = 1
2. A sink can be filled by a pipe in 5 minutes , but it takes 7 minutes to drain a full sink. If both pipe and drain
are open, how long will it take to fill the sink?
REPRESENT:
X = number of hours to fill the tank SOLVE
rate time work ( ) 35
Pipe x
7x – 5x = 35
Drain x
2x = 35
EQUATION
x = 17.5 minutes
Pipe – Drain = 1
3. Nelson can clean the room in 3 hours. If his brother John Mark helps, they can clean it in 2.4 hours. How
long would it take John Mark to do the job alone?
REPRESENT:
X = number of hours John Mark can do the job alone SOLVE
rate time work () 3x
Nelson 2.4
2.4x + 7.2 = 3x
John
2.4
Mark 2.4x – 3x = -7.2
-0.6 -= -7.2
EQUATION
Nelson + John Mark = 1
x = 12 hours