Middle School:
Question: Evan forgets to put the stopper in the drain as he fills up his bath tub, then walks away from the bathroom. The water pours out of the faucet at a rate of 24 gallons per minute. The drain empties the tub at a rate of 6 gallons per minute. If the tub holds 60 gallons, then how long will it be before the tub overflows?
Answer: 3 minutes and 20 seconds
Solution: The tub fills at a rate of 24 - 6 = 18 gallons per minute. Since the tub holds 60 gallons in total, it'll take 60 ÷ 18 = 31/3 minutes—or 3 minutes and 20 seconds—to overflow.
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