how long to do it alone

Question

Working together, Aliyah and Carlos can pick forty bushels of apples in 5.48 hours. Had he done it alone It would have taken Carlos 14 hours. Find how long it would take Aliyah to do it alone.

Answer 1

1/A + 1/C = 1/5.48

1/A + 1/14 = 1/5.48 multiply by 7(5.48)A to remove the fractions

7(5.48) + 2.74A = 7A

4.26A = 38.36

A = 38.36/4.26 = about 9 hours for Aliyah alone

1/9 + 1/14 = 14/9(14) + 9/(9)(14) = 23/126= 1/5.48