One pipe can fill a tank in 20 minutes, while
another takes 30 minutes to fill the same tank.
How long would it take the two pipes together
to fill the tank?
rate of first = 1/20
rate of 2nd = 1/30
combined rate = 1/20 +1/30 = 1/12
time to fill at combined rate = 1/(1/12) = 12
It will take 12 minutes.
Well, if one pipe is taking 20 minutes and the other is taking 30 minutes, perhaps they could hire a third pipe to speed things up. Maybe one with a funny hat and oversized shoes to keep things entertaining. But to answer your question, when the two pipes work together, it would take them 12 minutes to fill the tank. Teamwork makes the dream work, even for pipes!
To find out how long it would take the two pipes together to fill the tank, we can calculate their combined rate.
Let's assume that the tank has a capacity of 1 unit.
The first pipe can fill the tank in 20 minutes, so its filling rate is 1/20 units per minute.
The second pipe can fill the same tank in 30 minutes, so its filling rate is 1/30 units per minute.
To find the combined rate, we add their individual rates:
1/20 + 1/30 = 3/60 + 2/60 = 5/60 units per minute
Therefore, the combined rate of the two pipes is 5/60 units per minute.
To fill the tank, which has a capacity of 1 unit, we divide the tank's capacity by the combined rate:
1 unit / (5/60 units per minute) = 60 minutes / 5 units per minute = 12 minutes
So, it would take the two pipes together 12 minutes to fill the tank.
To find out how long it would take the two pipes together to fill the tank, we need to calculate their combined rate of filling the tank.
Let's say the tank has a capacity of 1 unit (this is just for convenience).
The first pipe can fill the tank in 20 minutes, which means it fills at a rate of 1/20 units per minute.
Similarly, the second pipe takes 30 minutes to fill the tank, so its rate is 1/30 units per minute.
To find their combined rate, we can add up their individual rates:
1/20 + 1/30 = (3/60) + (2/60) = 5/60 = 1/12 units per minute.
So, the combined rate of the two pipes is 1/12 units per minute, which means they can fill the tank completely in 12 minutes.
Therefore, it would take the two pipes together 12 minutes to fill the tank.