How much time will it take 5 machines to make 200 bottle caps?

Question

If 3 machines make 120 bottle caps per minute, how much time would it take 5 machines to make 200 bottle caps? What is the best way to solve this one? Can algebra be used? Thank you!

Answer 1

This is as much a logic problem as it is a math problem:

We could re-state the original rate as 120 bottle caps per 3 machine-minutes or a speed

or 120/3 = 40 bottle caps per machine-minute.

Looking at the second situation, 200 bottle caps per 5 machine minutes = 200/5 or

40 bottle caps per machine minute--same rate as the original scenario, which means it would take the same amount of time--one minute.