If Samantha and Logan can do their paper route together in 45 minutes, how many hours would it take each of them to do it alone, given that Samantha is three times as fast as Logan?

Question

If Samantha and Logan can do their paper route together in 45 minutes, how many hours would it take each of them to do it alone, given that  Samantha is three times as fast as Logan?

Reiny · Answer

Logans rate = 1/x Samantha's rate = 3/x combined rate = 1/x + 3/x = 4/x 1/(4/x) = 45 x/4 = 45 x = 180 time for Logan alone = 1/(1/180) = 180 minutes time for Samantha alone = 1/(3/18) = 60 minutes