# Thread: Printers A & B

1. ## Printers A & B

Working together, printer A and printer B would finish a task in 24 minutes. Printer A alone would finish the task in 60 minutes. How many pages does the task contain if printer B prints 5 pages a minute more than printer A?

This looks like a two equations in two unknowns problem. Right? If so, can you give me one of the equations?

2. ## Re: Printers A & B

$\displaystyle \frac{1}{A}+\frac{1}{B}=\frac{1}{24}$

3. ## Re: Printers A & B

Originally Posted by Monoxdifly
$\displaystyle \frac{1}{A}+\frac{1}{B}=\frac{1}{24}$
This is not a set of equations in two unknowns.

4. ## Re: Printers A & B

Originally Posted by harpazo
This is not a set of equations in two unknowns.
YOU posted this: "If so, can you give me one of the equations?".
Mr.Fly did just that. Now it's up to you to come up with the 2nd equation.

5. ## Re: Printers A & B

Originally Posted by DenisB
YOU posted this: "If so, can you give me one of the equations?".
Mr.Fly did just that. Now it's up to you to come up with the 2nd equation.
Thanks for defending me, Denis McField. He did just ask one of the equations.

6. ## Re: Printers A & B

Let $p$ be the rate printer A works in pages per minute. Printer B prints at a rate of $p+5$ pages per minute.

Since printer A takes 60 min to complete the job alone, the number of pages in the task = $p \cdot 60$.

Working together, $[p + (p+5)] \cdot 24 = p \cdot 60$

7. ## Re: Printers A & B

A+B = x/24 pages/min
A = x/60 pages/min
B = [x/(60 + 5)] pages/min

x/24 = x/60 + [x/(60 + 5)]
x/24 - 2x/60 = 5
Solving for x, I got 600 pages. Is this right?

8. ## Re: Printers A & B

Originally Posted by Monoxdifly
$\displaystyle \frac{1}{A}+\frac{1}{B}=\frac{1}{24}$
Thank you for your effort and help. I found another way to solve the problem. Yes, I did ask for one equation.

9. ## Re: Printers A & B

Originally Posted by harpazo
Thank you for your effort and help. I found another way to solve the problem. Yes, I did ask for one equation.
It's okay. There's more than one way to solve a math question. That's one of the reasons why I love math.

10. ## Re: Printers A & B

Originally Posted by Monoxdifly
It's okay. There's more than one way to solve a math question. That's one of the reasons why I love math.
It took me about 40 minutes to solve it this way.