Question

Can anybody help me with this? I don't understand?:
Tim paints 1 fence every two minutes. Moby paints 14 fences every two minutes. How many minutes will it take them to paint the fences, working together, if they have 150 fences to paint.

Answer 1

1/2 + 2/14 = x/150

Answer 2

http://www.purplemath.com/modules/workprob4.htm

Answer 3

2/1+14/2=150/x

Answer 4

Here is a common sense approach. In two minutes, they both paint 15 fences.

amount=rate*time
150fences=15fences/2min * time
time= 150*2/15=20 min

Now a more analytical approach.
The combined rate is the rate of each added.

ratecombined= 1fence/2min+14fence/2 min
= 15fence/2 min

fencestotal= ratecombined*time
150=15/2 * time and you have it.

Answer 5

opps! be sure to write the units out because I accidentally wrote 2 min/1 fence instead of 1 fence/ 2 min.

1 fence/2 min +14 fence/2 min= 150 fence/x min