GMATGuruNY wrote:resilient wrote:working alone, printers x,y, and z can do a certain printing job, consisitning of a large number of pages, 12, 15, and 18 hours, respectively. What is the ratio of the time it takes printer x to do the job, working at its rate, to time it takes printers y and z to do the job, working together at their individual rates?
a. 4/11
b.1/2
c. 15/22
d.22/15
e.11/4
qa is d. I dont see why C is wrong. I dont see why the solution flips the combined rate of y and z working together. help stuart?
I think that the easiest approach is to plug in a value for the job in order to determine everyone's respective rates.
Plug in job = 180.
Rate for x = w/t = 180/12 = 15/hour.
Rate for y = w/t = 180/15 = 12/hour.
Rate for z = w/t = 180/18 = 10/hour.
Combined rate of y+z = 12+10 = 22/hour.
Time for y+z = w/r = 180/22 = 90/11.
Ratio of (time x):(time y+z) = 12/(90/11) = 22/15.
The correct answer is D.
Could you explain why the answer is D?
Aren't we supposed to take the ratio of the "rates" of these individual entities? (considering x as one and the combo of y-z as another entity)?
In that case, shouldn't the calculation go as:
1/12 / 33/15*18 = 15*18 / 33*12 ; eventually yielding 15/22 ?
Please correct me if I am wrong, so that I do not repeat the mistake.
Thanks!
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