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A painting job can be completed by 4 painters in 22 days. If 16 more painters join the team 2 days after starting work on the job, then how many more days are required to complete the job?
Answer: 4
Solution:
Total effort required by 4 painters for 22 days = 4 × 22 = 88 man-days.
Initial effort by 4 painters for 2 days = 4 × 2 = 8 man-days.
Job still requires 88 − 8 = 80 man-days, and there are 20 painters available to do it.
Additional effort required by 20 painters for 80 man-days = 80 / 20 = 4 days.
Thus, 4 more days are required to complete the painting job.
Alternative Shorter Solution:
4 painters require 22 − 2 = 20 more days to complete the job.
Therefore, 4 + 16 = 20 painters will require 20 × 4 / 20 = 4 more days to complete the job.
Food for thought:
The number of days for the job is inversely proportional to the number of painters. So, is 'number of days × number of painters = constant'?
What assumptions were made to arrive at the solution?
Is something assumed about the output of the painters?
Try the Quiz : Puzzles & Brain Teasers : Painting Job
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