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Aug 01, 2024

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If 6 identical machines, each working at the same uniform constant rate, can complete a job working together in 3 hours, how long will it take 9 of these machines, working at their constant rate, to complete 1 3 of this job?

60 minutes

45 minutes

40 minutes

30 minutes

24 minutes

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Scott Woodbury-Stewart Founder and Expert GMAT Instructor Scott Woodbury-Stewart Founder and Expert GMAT Instructor

Text Solution:

Let’s start by determining the rate of one machine.

First, we need to determine the rate of 6 machines:

Rate 6 Machines = Work Time = 1 job 3 hours = 1 3 job hour .

Next, we can determine the rate of 1 machine. To do so, we divide the rate of the 6 machines by 6:

Rate 1 Machine = Rate 6 Machines 6 = 1 3 6 = 1 3 × 1 6 = 1 18 job hour

Finally, we need to determine the rate of 9 machines, so we multiply the rate of one machine by 9:

Rate 9 Machines = Rate 1 Machine ×9= 1 18 ×9= 9 18 = 1 2 job hour .

Keep in mind, we also could have used the proportion method:

6 machines combined rate of 6 machines = 9 machines combined rate of 9 machines 6 1 3 = 9 n 6×3= 9 n 18= 9 n 18n=9n= 9 18 = 1 2 job hour

Now that we have the rate of 9 machines, we see that we need to determine how long it will take the 9 machines to complete 1 3 of the job, so we can put this into a matrix.

  Rate Time Work
9 Machines 12 job hour ? 13 job

Since time= work rate we have the following:

Tim e 9 Machines = 1 3 1 2 = 1 3 ×2= 2 3 hour=40 minutes

Correct answer: C
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