Three pipes fill a tank. The first two together take as long as the third alone. The second fills it 5 hours faster than the first and 4 hours slower than the third. How long does the first pipe alone take?

Question

Accepted Answer

15 h. Let the second take x h: first x + 5, third x − 4. 1/x+5+1/x=1/x-4. x = 10 works: 1/15+1/10=1/6 ✓. So the first pipe takes 15 h.

Three pipes fill a tank. The first two together take as long as the third alone. The second fills it 5 hours faster than the first and 4 hours slower than the third. How long does the first pipe alone take?

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