word problem

Question

Two workers in a holiday boutique are filling stockings with small gifts and candy. Molly has already filled 8 stockings and will continue to fill them at a rate of 3 stockings per hour. Jake, who just arrived to help, can fill 4 stockings per hour. At some point, Jake will catch up with Molly and they will have completed the same number of stockings. How long will that take? How many stockings will each worker have filled by then?

Answer 1

Let n = number of hours when the two match each other

 

 

Molly's Number =  8 +3 n

 Jake's Number = 4 n

 

When the reach  the same number

 8+3n = 4n

 

8 = 4n-3n = n

 n= 8 

This means at 8 ours the numbers of the two will match each other

At 8 hrs the number of Molly = 8 + 3x8 =8 + 24 = 32

Which is also equal to that of Jake  4n = 4x8 = 32