Convert women to man-equivalents to size the final push Twenty-four men complete a job in 16 days. Thirty-two women can complete the same job in 24 days. Sixteen men and sixteen women work together for 12 days. How many more men must be added to finish the remaining work in 2 days (with the women continuing)?

Introduction / Context:Mixed-gender crew problems can be simplified by converting all productivity into a single “man-equivalent” or “woman-equivalent” unit. Once equivalents are established, remaining work and required headcount follow from linear rate arithmetic.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• 24 men → 16 days ⇒ total work = 384 man-days.
• 32 women → 24 days ⇒ 768 woman-days = the same work ⇒ 1 man-day = 2 woman-days.
• Current crew for first 12 days: 16 men + 16 women.
• Women continue during the final 2-day sprint.

Concept / Approach:Convert women to man-equivalents, compute done vs. remaining, then solve for extra men x so that the 2-day capacity equals the remaining man-days.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:With 24 extra, the final daily man-equivalent = 48; over 2 days = 96, exactly the remainder.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:48 or 36 overshoot; “None of these” is unnecessary because 24 fits perfectly.

Common Pitfalls:Forgetting to convert women to man-equivalents before summing crew productivity.

Final Answer:24