One of the two inlet pipes works twice as efficiently as the other. The two, working alongside a drain pipe that can empty a cistern all by itself in 8 hours, can fill the empty cistern in 8 hours. How many hours will the less efficient inlet pipe take to fill the empty cistern by itself?

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  1. 8
  2. 6
  3. 12
  4. 10

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 3 : 12
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Given:

One of the two inlet pipes works twice as efficiently as the other.

The two, working alongside a drain pipe that can empty a cistern all by itself in 8 hours, can fill the empty cistern in 8 hours.

Concept used:

If two workers take X and Y hours respectively to complete a task independently, then time taken to complete the work together = \(\frac {XY}{X + Y}\) hours

Calculation:

Let the time taken by the more efficient inlet pipe be Q hours.

So, time taken by the less efficient inlet pipe = 2Q hours

​According to the concept,

Time taken to fill the cistern if only two inlet pipes are open together

⇒ \(\frac {2Q \times Q}{2Q + Q}\) = \({\frac {2Q}{3}}\) hours

Time taken to fill the cistern if two inlet pipes are open together alongside the drain pipe

⇒ \(\frac {{\frac {2Q}{3}} \times {-8}}{{\frac {2Q}{3}} - 8}\) (A negative sign is taken since the drain pipe empties the cistern)

 \(\frac {-16Q}{2Q - 24}\) hours

​According to the question,

\(\frac {-16Q}{2Q - 24}\) = 8

⇒ \(\frac {-2Q}{2Q - 24}\) = 1

⇒ 2Q - 24 = -2Q

⇒ 4Q = 24

⇒ Q = 6

⇒ 2Q = 12

Now, time taken by the less efficient pipe to fill the cistern = 12 hours

∴ The less efficient inlet pipe takes 12 hours to fill the empty cistern by itself.

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