5. It takes Tom 3 hours less time to paint a fence than it takes Larry. Working together, they can
paint the fence in 2 hours. How many hours would it take each boy alone to paint the fence?



Answer :

Final answer:

The answer uses equations to determine the time each boy needs to paint a fence, showing the step-by-step process with clear explanation.


Explanation:

To solve this problem, we can set up equations based on the given information.

Let's denote the time Larry takes to paint the fence as x hours. Therefore, Tom takes (x - 3) hours to paint the fence.

When working together, their combined work rate is 1/((x - 3) + x) = 1/2. Solving these equations will give you the time each boy alone needs to paint the fence.


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