Problem of the Week - Middle School - Oct. 4, 2020 to Oct. 10, 2020

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.