# CAT Practice : Pipes cisterns, Work time

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A simple Work and Time question that makes you think !!

## Pipes Cisterns - Work Time

Q.8: B takes 12 more days than A to finish a task. B and A start this task and A leaves the task 12 days before the task is finished. B completes 60% of the overall task. How long would B have taken to finish the task if he had worked independently?
1. 48 days
2. 36 days
3. 28 days
4. 32 days

Choice B. 36 days

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## Detailed Solution

Let us say A and B split their share of the task and started doing their respective shares simultaneously.

Let’s say A takes A days to finish the task. Therefore, B takes A + 12 days to finish the entire task.

A has to finish 40% of the task, since B is doing the rest. So A will only take 2A/5 number of days.

B only has to finish 60% of the task, so B will take ${(3(A+12)/5)}$ number of days.

But as we know, B starts working along with A and finishes 12 days after A stops working.

So, ${(3(A+12)/5)}$ = ${((2A )/5 + 12)}$

3A + 36 = 2A + 60

A = 24; B = 36 days.

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## More questions from Pipes Cisterns, Work Time

Mathematicians are creatures of habit. This topic has been called Pipes and Cisterns because someone named it like it long ago. Pipes and Tanks would be much better - at least makes it sound like wartime.