andrew, the wide reciever, can run the forty yard dash in 1/2 the time that brett, the defensive lineman, can. if the sum of the two boys' times is 16.2 seconds, how many seconds does it take brett to run the forty yard dash?
Let x be the time it takes Brett to run the forty yard dash.
Andrew can run it in 1/2 * x = x/2.
The sum of their times is x + x/2 = 16.2 seconds.
Adding x/2 to both sides, we get 3/2 * x = 16.2 seconds.
Dividing both sides by 3/2, we get x = 16.2 seconds / (3/2) = 16.2 seconds * (2/3) = <<16.2*2/3=10.8>>10.8 seconds.
It takes Brett 10.8 seconds to run the forty yard dash. Answer: \boxed{10.8}.