Work completion after partial progress by a faster coworker A can finish a job in 10 days, while B can finish the same job in 6 days. B works alone for the first 4 days. How long will A take to complete the remaining work, starting from that point?

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: 10/3 days

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
Questions involving “work done before/after” test your ability to compute partial work using individual rates and then convert the remaining work into time for another worker. This problem features two workers with different efficiencies and a hand-off in the middle.



Given Data / Assumptions:

  • A completes the job in 10 days.
  • B completes the job in 6 days.
  • B works alone for the first 4 days.
  • Total work is normalized to 1 unit.


Concept / Approach:
The rate approach: If a worker completes a job in T days, the daily rate is 1/T. Work done = rate * time. Remaining work = total work − completed work.



Step-by-Step Solution:

Rate of A = 1/10 per dayRate of B = 1/6 per dayWork done by B in 4 days = 4 * (1/6) = 2/3Remaining work after B = 1 − 2/3 = 1/3Time for A to do the remaining work = (1/3) / (1/10) = 10/3 days


Verification / Alternative check:
Convert to hours if desired: 10/3 days ≈ 3.333... days. Multiplying A’s rate 1/10 by 10/3 yields exactly 1/3 of the job, matching the remaining portion.



Why Other Options Are Wrong:

  • 11/3 days: Overestimates the needed time; A would do more than the remaining 1/3.
  • 7/3 days: Underestimates; A would not finish the remaining part.
  • 4 days: Assumes slower-than-necessary completion; A’s rate is sufficient to do it in less.
  • None of these: Incorrect because 10/3 is available.


Common Pitfalls:
Mixing up who worked first, or adding rates/time incorrectly. Always compute remaining work correctly before dividing by the finisher’s rate.



Final Answer:
10/3 days

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