Question

One worker makes 3 times as
many widgets as the average
person. A second worker
makes times as many
widgets as the average
person. How many times more
widgets does the first worker
make than the second worker?

Answer 1

To find out how many times more widgets the first worker makes than the second worker, let's define the average number of widgets produced by a person as \( x \).

- The first worker makes \( 3x \) (3 times the average).
- The second worker makes \( kx \) (where \( k \) is the factor times the average).

To determine how many times more widgets the first worker makes than the second worker, we use the following formula:

\[
\text{Ratio} = \frac{\text{widgets by first worker}}{\text{widgets by second worker}} = \frac{3x}{kx}
\]

The \( x \) terms cancel out, yielding:

\[
\text{Ratio} = \frac{3}{k}
\]

Therefore, the first worker makes \(\frac{3}{k}\) times more widgets than the second worker.