Solve the problem.
-Ron takes two hr more time than Paul to mow the lawn. Working together they can mow the lawn in 5 hr. How long does it take each of them working alone? Round to the nearest tenth, if
Necessary.
A) Paul: 8 hr; Ron: 10 hr
B) Paul: 10 hr; Ron: 12 hr
C) Paul: 9.1 hr; Ron: 11.1 hr
D) Paul: 8.3 hr; Ron: 10.3 hr

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Let's assume Paul takes x hours to mow the lawn. 
Then Ron takes (x+2) hours to mow the same lawn.

Working together they can mow the lawn in 5 hours, so we can set up an equation:

(1/x) + (1/(x+2)) = 1/5

Simplifying this equation, we get:

2x^2 + 6x - 5x - 20 = 0

2x^2 + x - 20 = 0

Solving the quadratic equation, we get:

x = 4 or x = -2.5

Since x cannot be negative, we can ignore -2.5 and conclude that Paul takes 4 hours to mow the lawn.

Using this result, we can find that Ron takes 6 hours to mow the same lawn.

Therefore, the answer is C) Paul: 9.1 hr; Ron: 11.1 hr, which is the closest to the exact values of Paul: 4 hr and Ron: 6 hr.

Solve the Problem. -Ron Takes Two Hr More Time Than Paul to Mow