word problem

Question

Three workers sort 66 boxes in a day. One of the workers is three times more productive than the second worker and twice as productive as the third worker. How many boxes did the second most productive worker sort?

Answer 1

There are 45 pellets per 1.12213 grams.

                       45 pellets                        pellets
There are         -----------             =   x    ---------

                  1.12213 grams                      1 gram

To get x, just divide 45 by 1.12213 to get 40.10231.  There are 40.1   (note: a hundredth of a pellet this size is really small, so I ignored it).

 

Also, you should realize (to check your answer) that 45 pellets weight only a little more than 1 gram, so 40.1 pellets (a few less than 45) weighing exactly 1 gram is a good answer.

Answer 2

Let A,B and C be workers and let:

the rate of worker B = x boxes/day

the rate of worker A = 3x boxes/day

the rate of worker C = (3/2)x boxes/day

They sort 66 boxes in a day(Given). Therefore, in a day, they sort equivalent to x + 3x + (3/2)x

That means 5.5x = 66

Then x = 12 boxes

So, by substituting back to the equation, A sorts 36 boxes, C sorts 18 boxes and B sorts 12 boxes per day respectively.

 

To check your answer, 36+18+12 = 66