Two neighbors, Wilma and Betty, each have a swimming pool. Both Wilma’s and Betty’s pools hold 8000 gallons of water. If Wilma’s garden hose fills at a rate of 800 gallons per hour while Betty’s garden hose fills at a rate of 650 gallons per hour, how much longer does it take Betty to fill her pool than Wilma?
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
To find how much longer it takes Betty to fill her pool compared to Wilma, we first need to determine the time it takes for each of them to fill their pools.
Step 1: Find the time it takes Wilma to fill her pool.
Wilma’s hose fills at a rate of 800 gallons per hour. Since her pool holds 8000 gallons, we can calculate the time it takes her to fill the pool by dividing the total amount of water by the rate at which her hose fills the pool: Time for Wilma=Total waterRate=8000 gallons800 gallons per hour=10 hours\text{Time for Wilma} = \frac{\text{Total water}}{\text{Rate}} = \frac{8000 \, \text{gallons}}{800 \, \text{gallons per hour}} = 10 \, \text{hours}Time for Wilma=RateTotal water=800gallons per hour8000gallons=10hours
Step 2: Find the time it takes Betty to fill her pool.
Betty’s hose fills at a rate of 650 gallons per hour. Similarly, we can calculate the time it takes her to fill her pool: Time for Betty=Total waterRate=8000 gallons650 gallons per hour≈12.31 hours\text{Time for Betty} = \frac{\text{Total water}}{\text{Rate}} = \frac{8000 \, \text{gallons}}{650 \, \text{gallons per hour}} \approx 12.31 \, \text{hours}Time for Betty=RateTotal water=650gallons per hour8000gallons≈12.31hours
Step 3: Calculate the difference in time.
To find how much longer it takes Betty, we subtract the time it takes Wilma from the time it takes Betty: Time difference=12.31 hours−10 hours=2.31 hours\text{Time difference} = 12.31 \, \text{hours} – 10 \, \text{hours} = 2.31 \, \text{hours}Time difference=12.31hours−10hours=2.31hours
Thus, it takes Betty about 2.31 hours longer to fill her pool than it takes Wilma.
Conclusion:
Betty’s garden hose fills her pool more slowly than Wilma’s, so it takes Betty approximately 2.31 hours longer to fill her pool. This difference is due to the slower rate at which Betty’s hose dispenses water.
